| 2005 Amman Bombings |
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The 2005 Amman bombings were a series of coordinated bomb attacks on three , 2005 Many newspapers refer to it as a Suicide Bomb attack, but this is questioned e.g. by the fact that there was no blood to see at the place where the suicide bomber was said to be exploded: Hyatt , Radisson . Analysis: Amman blasts al-Qaida linked An Iraqi woman confessed on tv that she was the supposed fourth bomber and failed to detonate her Explosive Belt and was arrested. The three hotels are often frequented by , November 14 , {Link without Title} , the explosion destroyed the ballroom, blew out the large windows bordering the street, and knocked down ceiling panels. The hotel lobby was also affected: ceiling panels and light fixtures collapsed, furniture was destroyed, and the hotel's glass doors were shattered. Cleanup and rebuilding have already commenced. The bomb that exploded in the lobby or lobby bar of the Grand Hyatt Amman was equally devastating. It destroyed the hotel's entrance and brought down pillars and ceiling tiles, along with badly damaging the reception and bar areas. Hyatt has already begun cleanup and rebuilding operations, and will announce a reopening schedule for the hotel once investigations by the Jordanian authorities will be completed. The company plans to reopen their Amman property as soon as possible. THE ATTACKS Radisson SAS At the Radisson SAS Hotel, two suicide bombers (a husband and wife team: , November 12 , 2005 As of November 14, 2005, the hotel has returned to full operation except for the wedding hall which is still undergoing forensic analysis and repairs. Grand Hyatt The second blast happened about 500 yards from the Radisson SAS. After the bomber ordered orange juice in the hotel's coffee shop, he went to another room—possibly to get his explosive belt—and then came back and detonated. Seven hotel employees were killed in this blast. Days Inn At the Days Inn the bomber entered the restaurant on the hotel's ground floor. He tried to detonate his explosive belt but had trouble; a waiter noticed this and called security. The bomber ran outside of the hotel and successfully detonated himself, killing three members of a Chinese military delegation. Property damage at the Days Inn is expected to amount to around $200,000, according to Khaled Abu Ghoush, general manager of the property. He said lost revenue due to the disrupted business is expected to total around $50,000 and be covered by insurance. Bombed Jordan hotels still estimating damages - Michael Bradford, ''Business Insurance'', November 11 , 2005 Casualties According to one Jordanian official, Maj. Bashir al-Da'aja, early in the investigation, local authorities confirmed a series of coordinated Suicide Attacks as the cause of the blasts. Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Marwan Al-Muasher initially announced that at least 67 people have died and 300 people have been injured. However, the Jordanian government subsequently revised the number of casualties down to at least 59 dead and 115 injured. The adjustment in figures was not explained. Among the dead were thirty-six Jordanians, six , 2005 , two Bahrain is, three Chinese delegates of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), one Saudi , and one Indonesia n citizen. The Palestinian fatalities included Major-General Bashir Nafeh, the head of military intelligence in the . Syria n-American Film Producer Moustapha Akkad , who was in the Grand Hyatt lobby, was severely wounded and died in hospital on November 11 . His 34-year-old daughter Rima was also killed in the blast. Suspects Jordanian police initially stated that there were at least four attackers (the fourth, a female, was later captured), including a couple, who spoke Iraqi-accented , November 11 , 2005 On , November 12 , 2005 that the attacks were carried out by Jordanian-born Zarqawi's group. According to Jordanian officials, the attackers were Iraqi and had entered the country three days before the attacks, and there were only three attackers. On , November 13 , 2005 , and their names were announced by Deputy Prime Minister Muasher. They were Ali Hussein Ali Al-Shamari (SAS Radisson), Rawad Jassem Mohammed Abed (Grand Hyatt), and Safaa Mohammed Ali (Days Inn). The woman in custody has been identified as Sajida Mubarak Atrous Al-Rishawi . She was married to al-Shamari and intended to blow herself up at the Radisson. Muasher also said that she was the sister of a close aide of al-Zarqawi. SOURCE OF THE ATTACKS An Internet statement released the day after, purportedly from . Members of the Jordanian government had already begun blaming the attacks on the Islamic Terrorist group, which counts the Jordanian Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi , among its leaders. "The attacks carry the trademark of al Qaeda", one police official said. Two U.S. intelligence officials agreed, describing the style of the attacks as bearing the trademark of al-Zarqawi, who has, in the past, discussed the possibility of launching attacks outside of Iraq. Of late, there have been concerns that terrorist attacks may occur in Jordan, due in part to its close proximity to Iraq, but also due to its government's cooperation in the United States' War On Terrorism . Notably, the Radisson hotel was previously an Al Qaeda target during the 2000 Millennium Attack Plots . Jordanian police foiled the original attempt after arresting Khadr Abu Hoshar , a Palestinian Militant , along with 15 others on December 12 , 1999 . All three of the hotels are frequented by American, Israeli, and European military contractors, journalists, business people, and diplomats, and the city itself has long been described as a "gate way" for Westerners into Baghdad and Iraq at large, leading many to entertain the possibility of a connection between the Amman bombings and the war in Iraq. In American shorthand date notation, the month number is followed by the day number, i.e. 9/11 corresponds to September 11. However, elsewhere in the world, the month number follows the day number, thus, November 9 would be notated in most nations, including Jordan, as 9/11. It has been speculated that this may constitute a parallel between the two dates (and thus to the September 11, 2001 Attacks ). RESPONSE Abdullah II , the King Of Jordan , cut short a state visit to Kazakhstan and returned to Jordan, where he pledged that "justice will pursue the criminals" and condemned the attacks. King Abdullah also cancelled an upcoming visit to Israel . United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan had planned to visit Jordan on November 10 , 2005 , but postponed the trip in light of the bombings. Kofi Annan issued a statement "strongly condemning" the attacks, and underscoring the need for additional security measures against terrorist attacks worldwide. A spokesman for the White House called the bombings "a heinous act of terror," while United States Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice called the bombings a "great tragedy" that show "the very difficult war that we're fighting." Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called King Abdullah and offered his condolences, as well as assistance in the recovery efforts. President George W. Bush said, "The bombing should remind all of us that there's an enemy in the world that is willing to kill innocent people, willing to bomb a wedding celebration in order to advance their cause." The Finnish Government as well expressed their condolences and stated that "terrorism is to be condemned always and everywhere", through Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja . Jordanians reacted to the bombings with outrage. Hundreds of people in Amman participated in protests against the bombings, chanting "burn in hell, , 2005 The family of , 2005 NOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
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