Explosion Rocks American Hotel - Jordan
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Scores dead in three Amman hotel bombings; Israelis evacuated before attack
By Yoav Stern and Zohar Blumenkrantz
Bombs rocked three hotels in Amman late last night, killing at least 57 people and wounding more than 115 in apparent suicide attacks. One of the hotels is known to be popular with Israeli tourists.
"There were three terrorist attacks on the Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS and Days Inn hotels, and it is believed that the blasts were suicide bombings," police spokesman Major Bashir al-Da'aja told The Associated Press. He declined to elaborate.
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There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.
A police official said the attacks were simultaneous and hit minutes before 9 P.M. in two districts in the Jordanian capital, including the commercial area of Jebel Amman and Al-Rabiyeh, which houses the Israeli Embassy.
A number of Israelis staying yesterday at the Radisson SAS were evacuated before the bombing by Jordanian security forces, apparently due to a specific security alert. They were escorted back to Israel by security personnel.
The Foreign Ministry stated yesterday that no Israeli tourists are known to have been injured in the blasts. Representatives of Israel's embassy in Amman were I contact with local authorities to examine any report of injured Israelis, but none were received. There are often a number of Israeli businessman and tourists in Amman, including in the hotels hit yesterday.
Israel's counter-terror headquarters yesterday recommended Israeli citizens not travel in Jordan. Travel recommendations regarding Jordan were tightened a few months ago, but many Israelis still visit the country. Many also visit other regions such as the Jordanian Arava and the ancient city of Petra.
The first bomber, at 8:50 P.M. local time, struck the Grand Hyatt, completely shattering the stone entrance. An AP reporter saw at least seven bodies removed from the hotel and many more wounded carried out on stretchers.
CNN reported an eyewitness saying the Jordanian prime minister's car was at the Grand Hyatt at the time of the blast.
Police said a second explosion hit the nearby Radisson SAS hotel, where about 250 people were attending a wedding reception. At least five were killed and at least 20 wounded in that blast, believed to have been caused by a bomb placed in a false ceiling, police sources at the scene told Reuters.
The Radisson, in particular, is popular with Israeli tourists and was a target of several foiled Al-Qaida plots in the past.
Police also reported a third explosion at the Days Inn Hotel in Amman. There were also casualties at that hotel.
"The attacks carry the trademark of Al-Qaida," one police official said on condition of anonymity in line with police regulations. "However, it is not certain. We are investigating."
Ayman al-Safadi, editor of Jordan's Al-Ghad newspaper, told the Al-Arabiya satellite network that it was a "terrorist operation."
"Finally, the terrorists succeeded in breaking the security in Jordan," he said, referring to past success in foiling many terror plots.
Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned the attack, saying, "Justice will pursue the criminals" behind the Amman suicide attacks, CNN reported. Abdullah, who was on an official visit to Kazakhstan, cut short his trip and was returning home last night.
The Grand Hyatt and Radisson SAS hotels, in the commercial Jebel Amman district, are located about one kilometer apart and are frequented by American and European businessmen and diplomats. The Days Inn is located three kilometers away.
An American businessman who was at the Grand Hyatt when the explosion occurred said a "bomb that went off in the lobby." He declined to identify himself.
"It was a miracle that we made it out with a scratch," said a British guest at the Grand Hyatt.
"We thought it was fireworks for the wedding but I saw people falling to the ground," said Ahmed, a wedding guest at the Radisson who did not give his surname. "I saw blood. There were people killed. It was ugly."
Jordan, a key ally of both the United States and Israel, had largely escaped the terror attacks that have hit other parts of the Middle East, and its sleepy capital, Amman, is viewed as a haven of stability in the region.
But Jordan has not been entirely immune: On Aug. 19, militants fired three Katyusha rockets at a U.S. Navy ship docked at the Red Sea resort of Aqaba, narrowly missing it and killing a Jordanian soldier.
Jordanian officials blamed that attack on Al-Qaida in Iraq, and there have been growing worries that the violence in Iraq could spill over into Jordan, where many Iraqi exiles have taken refuge from the violence.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/643691.html
ANOTHER COINCIDENCE..The media fails to mentioned this VERY IMPORTANT PIECE..
By Yoav Stern and Zohar Blumenkrantz
Bombs rocked three hotels in Amman late last night, killing at least 57 people and wounding more than 115 in apparent suicide attacks. One of the hotels is known to be popular with Israeli tourists.
"There were three terrorist attacks on the Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS and Days Inn hotels, and it is believed that the blasts were suicide bombings," police spokesman Major Bashir al-Da'aja told The Associated Press. He declined to elaborate.
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There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.
A police official said the attacks were simultaneous and hit minutes before 9 P.M. in two districts in the Jordanian capital, including the commercial area of Jebel Amman and Al-Rabiyeh, which houses the Israeli Embassy.
A number of Israelis staying yesterday at the Radisson SAS were evacuated before the bombing by Jordanian security forces, apparently due to a specific security alert. They were escorted back to Israel by security personnel.
The Foreign Ministry stated yesterday that no Israeli tourists are known to have been injured in the blasts. Representatives of Israel's embassy in Amman were I contact with local authorities to examine any report of injured Israelis, but none were received. There are often a number of Israeli businessman and tourists in Amman, including in the hotels hit yesterday.
Israel's counter-terror headquarters yesterday recommended Israeli citizens not travel in Jordan. Travel recommendations regarding Jordan were tightened a few months ago, but many Israelis still visit the country. Many also visit other regions such as the Jordanian Arava and the ancient city of Petra.
The first bomber, at 8:50 P.M. local time, struck the Grand Hyatt, completely shattering the stone entrance. An AP reporter saw at least seven bodies removed from the hotel and many more wounded carried out on stretchers.
CNN reported an eyewitness saying the Jordanian prime minister's car was at the Grand Hyatt at the time of the blast.
Police said a second explosion hit the nearby Radisson SAS hotel, where about 250 people were attending a wedding reception. At least five were killed and at least 20 wounded in that blast, believed to have been caused by a bomb placed in a false ceiling, police sources at the scene told Reuters.
The Radisson, in particular, is popular with Israeli tourists and was a target of several foiled Al-Qaida plots in the past.
Police also reported a third explosion at the Days Inn Hotel in Amman. There were also casualties at that hotel.
"The attacks carry the trademark of Al-Qaida," one police official said on condition of anonymity in line with police regulations. "However, it is not certain. We are investigating."
Ayman al-Safadi, editor of Jordan's Al-Ghad newspaper, told the Al-Arabiya satellite network that it was a "terrorist operation."
"Finally, the terrorists succeeded in breaking the security in Jordan," he said, referring to past success in foiling many terror plots.
Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned the attack, saying, "Justice will pursue the criminals" behind the Amman suicide attacks, CNN reported. Abdullah, who was on an official visit to Kazakhstan, cut short his trip and was returning home last night.
The Grand Hyatt and Radisson SAS hotels, in the commercial Jebel Amman district, are located about one kilometer apart and are frequented by American and European businessmen and diplomats. The Days Inn is located three kilometers away.
An American businessman who was at the Grand Hyatt when the explosion occurred said a "bomb that went off in the lobby." He declined to identify himself.
"It was a miracle that we made it out with a scratch," said a British guest at the Grand Hyatt.
"We thought it was fireworks for the wedding but I saw people falling to the ground," said Ahmed, a wedding guest at the Radisson who did not give his surname. "I saw blood. There were people killed. It was ugly."
Jordan, a key ally of both the United States and Israel, had largely escaped the terror attacks that have hit other parts of the Middle East, and its sleepy capital, Amman, is viewed as a haven of stability in the region.
But Jordan has not been entirely immune: On Aug. 19, militants fired three Katyusha rockets at a U.S. Navy ship docked at the Red Sea resort of Aqaba, narrowly missing it and killing a Jordanian soldier.
Jordanian officials blamed that attack on Al-Qaida in Iraq, and there have been growing worries that the violence in Iraq could spill over into Jordan, where many Iraqi exiles have taken refuge from the violence.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/643691.html
ANOTHER COINCIDENCE..The media fails to mentioned this VERY IMPORTANT PIECE..
<font size="5"><center>No truth to report of Israeli evacuations before Amman bombs </font size></center>
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Last update - 17:03 10/11/2005
There is no truth to reports that Israelis staying at the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman on Wednesday were evacuated by Jordanian security forces before the bombing that took place there.
The Israelis were escorted back to Israel by Jordanian security personnel only after the attacks had taken place, contrary to earlier reports.
Al Qaida said Thursday that it had carried out the triple suicide bombings at the Radisson, Grand Hyatt and Days Inn hotels in downtown Amman, in which at least 57 people, including an Israeli, were killed.
Representatives of Israel's embassy in Amman were in contact with local authorities to examine any report of injured Israelis, but none were received. There are often a number of Israeli businessman and tourists in Amman, including in the hotels hit Wednesday.
Israel's counter-terror headquarters on Wednesday recommended Israeli citizens not travel in Jordan. Travel warnings regarding Jordan were tightened a few months ago, but many Israelis still visit the country. Many also visit other regions such as the Jordanian Arava and the ancient city of Petra.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/643661.html
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Last update - 17:03 10/11/2005
There is no truth to reports that Israelis staying at the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman on Wednesday were evacuated by Jordanian security forces before the bombing that took place there.
The Israelis were escorted back to Israel by Jordanian security personnel only after the attacks had taken place, contrary to earlier reports.
Al Qaida said Thursday that it had carried out the triple suicide bombings at the Radisson, Grand Hyatt and Days Inn hotels in downtown Amman, in which at least 57 people, including an Israeli, were killed.
Representatives of Israel's embassy in Amman were in contact with local authorities to examine any report of injured Israelis, but none were received. There are often a number of Israeli businessman and tourists in Amman, including in the hotels hit Wednesday.
Israel's counter-terror headquarters on Wednesday recommended Israeli citizens not travel in Jordan. Travel warnings regarding Jordan were tightened a few months ago, but many Israelis still visit the country. Many also visit other regions such as the Jordanian Arava and the ancient city of Petra.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/643661.html
<font size="5"><center>Text of Woman's Confession on Jordan TV</font size></center>
Nov 13, 12:58 PM (ET)
By The Associated Press
Text of an Iraqi woman's confession on state-run Jordan TV that she intended to bomb the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman, Jordan, on Nov. 9 as part of suicide attacks on three hotels that killed 57 others:
<font size="4">Sajida Mubarak Atrous, born in 1970, an Iraqi national, living in Ramadi.
On Nov. 5, I accompanied my husband to Jordan with a forged Iraqi passport, under the name of Ali Hussein Ali and Sajida Abdel Qader Latif.
We waited and a white car arrived with a driver and a passenger. We rode with them and entered Jordan (from Iraq). My husband arranged our trip from there, I don't know.
In Jordan, we rented an apartment. He had two explosive belts. He put one on me and wore the other. He taught me how to use it, how to pull the (primer cord) and operate it.
He said it was to carry attacks on hotels in Jordan. We rented a car and entered the hotel on Nov. 9. My husband and I went inside the hotel, he went to one corner and I went to another.
There was a wedding at the hotel with children, women and men inside.
My husband detonated (his bomb), I tried to explode (my belt) but it wouldn't.
I left, people fled running and I left running with them. </font size>
http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20051113/D8DRNTVG0.html
Nov 13, 12:58 PM (ET)
By The Associated Press
Text of an Iraqi woman's confession on state-run Jordan TV that she intended to bomb the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman, Jordan, on Nov. 9 as part of suicide attacks on three hotels that killed 57 others:
<font size="4">Sajida Mubarak Atrous, born in 1970, an Iraqi national, living in Ramadi.
On Nov. 5, I accompanied my husband to Jordan with a forged Iraqi passport, under the name of Ali Hussein Ali and Sajida Abdel Qader Latif.
We waited and a white car arrived with a driver and a passenger. We rode with them and entered Jordan (from Iraq). My husband arranged our trip from there, I don't know.
In Jordan, we rented an apartment. He had two explosive belts. He put one on me and wore the other. He taught me how to use it, how to pull the (primer cord) and operate it.
He said it was to carry attacks on hotels in Jordan. We rented a car and entered the hotel on Nov. 9. My husband and I went inside the hotel, he went to one corner and I went to another.
There was a wedding at the hotel with children, women and men inside.
My husband detonated (his bomb), I tried to explode (my belt) but it wouldn't.
I left, people fled running and I left running with them. </font size>
http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20051113/D8DRNTVG0.html
<font size="5"><center>Al Qaeda's Misstep in Jordan</font size></center>
STRATFOR
Terrorism Brief
November 16, 2005
Two days after the Nov. 9 suicide bombings at three Western hotels in Amman, Jordan, al Qaeda's Iraqi branch released a statement saying three men and a woman staged the attack and that the woman had "decided to accompany her husband on the path to martyrdom." Al Qaeda in Iraq, however, apparently had not yet realized that the female bomber had failed to detonate. The jihadist network's aggressive public relations effort, then, actually tipped off the Jordanians and enabled them to capture the fourth cell member, 35-year-old Sajida Mubarak al-Rishawi.
The fact that the statement erroneously mentioned a fourth bomber indicates it was prepared before the attackers deployed for the operation, and was released before the network knew that al-Rishawi failed to complete her suicide attack with her husband. It is not unusual for a claim of responsibility to be prepared in advance of an operation, as its release shortly after the attack maximizes its effectiveness. In this case, however, the statement tipped off the Jordanians to the fact that one of the bombers remained at large.
The Jordanian's intelligence service probably is the most effective Arab intelligence organization in the region. As soon as the Jordanians realized that there was still a bomber on the loose, good investigation practices enabled them to quickly round her up.
Although the jihadist group's aggressive public relations effort after the Amman attack may have compromised part of the operation, the Jordanians also might have tipped their hand by announcing the capture of the failed bomber. A more prudent strategy might have been for the Jordanians to keep al-Rishawi "on ice" -- rather than air her confession on national television -- and thus to have the opportunity to exploit more of the intelligence gained from interviewing her. This information could have led to more arrests further up the al Qaeda chain of command in Jordan and Iraq.
Three of al-Rishawi's brothers and her husband reportedly were active in the jihadist network's Iraqi branch. Of those, two brothers, Ammar and Yassir, were killed in combat against U.S. forces in Ar Ramadi and another, Thamir, was a known member of a jihadist insurgent cell until he was killed by a U.S. missile strike on his pickup truck in Al Fallujah.
Because of her family connections to al Qaeda in Iraq, al-Rishawi likely can provide information about mid-level members of the group and their relationships to one another. She also should be in a position to provide information on the location of safe-houses and other of the group's facilities in Iraq. However, the operatives she knows would have relocated as soon al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi learned of her arrest -- as he knows firsthand the effectiveness of interrogation techniques employed by Jordanian intelligence. Al-Rishawi's capture also led investigators to her unexploded bomb, a vital piece of evidence that will provide technological information -- and possible fingerprints -- and also can be used to analyze and trace the explosives and other components. Furthermore, investigators also will look for little idiosyncrasies in the way the device was constructed -- the so-called "signature" of the bombmaker.
Al-Rishawi, however, probably cannot provide the Jordanians (and by proxy, U.S. intelligence) with information about the jihadist network's long-range plans and strategy. In conservative Islamist organization such as al Qaeda in Iraq, a woman would not be close to the decision-making and planning processes. In addition, it appears from her statements to the Jordanians that she participated in the suicide attack exclusively on the orders of her husband -- with minimal training and indoctrination -- and that she had limited knowledge about the group's activities outside of the Amman operation.
Although both al Qaeda in Iraq and the Jordanians might have been better served by showing more discretion, the general war on terrorism nonetheless will benefit from al-Rishawi's interrogation -- a process that could last for some time.
Send questions or comments on this article to analysis@stratfor.com.
STRATFOR
Terrorism Brief
November 16, 2005
Two days after the Nov. 9 suicide bombings at three Western hotels in Amman, Jordan, al Qaeda's Iraqi branch released a statement saying three men and a woman staged the attack and that the woman had "decided to accompany her husband on the path to martyrdom." Al Qaeda in Iraq, however, apparently had not yet realized that the female bomber had failed to detonate. The jihadist network's aggressive public relations effort, then, actually tipped off the Jordanians and enabled them to capture the fourth cell member, 35-year-old Sajida Mubarak al-Rishawi.
The fact that the statement erroneously mentioned a fourth bomber indicates it was prepared before the attackers deployed for the operation, and was released before the network knew that al-Rishawi failed to complete her suicide attack with her husband. It is not unusual for a claim of responsibility to be prepared in advance of an operation, as its release shortly after the attack maximizes its effectiveness. In this case, however, the statement tipped off the Jordanians to the fact that one of the bombers remained at large.
The Jordanian's intelligence service probably is the most effective Arab intelligence organization in the region. As soon as the Jordanians realized that there was still a bomber on the loose, good investigation practices enabled them to quickly round her up.
Although the jihadist group's aggressive public relations effort after the Amman attack may have compromised part of the operation, the Jordanians also might have tipped their hand by announcing the capture of the failed bomber. A more prudent strategy might have been for the Jordanians to keep al-Rishawi "on ice" -- rather than air her confession on national television -- and thus to have the opportunity to exploit more of the intelligence gained from interviewing her. This information could have led to more arrests further up the al Qaeda chain of command in Jordan and Iraq.
Three of al-Rishawi's brothers and her husband reportedly were active in the jihadist network's Iraqi branch. Of those, two brothers, Ammar and Yassir, were killed in combat against U.S. forces in Ar Ramadi and another, Thamir, was a known member of a jihadist insurgent cell until he was killed by a U.S. missile strike on his pickup truck in Al Fallujah.
Because of her family connections to al Qaeda in Iraq, al-Rishawi likely can provide information about mid-level members of the group and their relationships to one another. She also should be in a position to provide information on the location of safe-houses and other of the group's facilities in Iraq. However, the operatives she knows would have relocated as soon al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi learned of her arrest -- as he knows firsthand the effectiveness of interrogation techniques employed by Jordanian intelligence. Al-Rishawi's capture also led investigators to her unexploded bomb, a vital piece of evidence that will provide technological information -- and possible fingerprints -- and also can be used to analyze and trace the explosives and other components. Furthermore, investigators also will look for little idiosyncrasies in the way the device was constructed -- the so-called "signature" of the bombmaker.
Al-Rishawi, however, probably cannot provide the Jordanians (and by proxy, U.S. intelligence) with information about the jihadist network's long-range plans and strategy. In conservative Islamist organization such as al Qaeda in Iraq, a woman would not be close to the decision-making and planning processes. In addition, it appears from her statements to the Jordanians that she participated in the suicide attack exclusively on the orders of her husband -- with minimal training and indoctrination -- and that she had limited knowledge about the group's activities outside of the Amman operation.
Although both al Qaeda in Iraq and the Jordanians might have been better served by showing more discretion, the general war on terrorism nonetheless will benefit from al-Rishawi's interrogation -- a process that could last for some time.
Send questions or comments on this article to analysis@stratfor.com.
<font size="5"><center>Al-Zarqawi May Be Among Dead in Iraq Fight</font size></center>
Nov 20, 4:54 PM (ET)
Associated Press
By ROBERT H. REID
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. forces sealed off a house in the northern city of Mosul where eight suspected al-Qaida members died in a gunfight - some by their own hand to avoid capture. A U.S. official said Sunday that efforts were under way to determine if terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was among the dead.
Insurgents, meanwhile, killed an American soldier and a Marine in separate attacks over the weekend, while a British soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in the south.
In Washington, a U.S. official said the identities of the terror suspects killed in the Saturday raid was unknown. Asked if they could include al-Zarqawi, the official replied: "There are efforts under way to determine if he was killed."
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
On Saturday, police Brig. Gen. Said Ahmed al-Jubouri said the raid was launched after a tip that top al-Qaida operatives, possibly including al-Zarqawi, were in the house in the northeastern part of the city.
During the intense gunbattle that followed, three insurgents detonated explosives and killed themselves to avoid capture, Iraqi officials said. Eleven Americans were wounded, the U.S. military said. Such intense resistance often suggests an attempt to defend a high-value target.
American soldiers controlled the site Sunday, and residents said helicopters flew over the area throughout the day. Some residents said the tight security was reminiscent of the July 2003 operation in which Saddam Hussein's sons, Odai and Qusai, were killed in Mosul.
The elusive al-Zarqawi has narrowly escaped capture in the past. U.S. forces said they nearly caught him in a February 2005 raid that recovered his computer.
Nov 20, 4:54 PM (ET)
Associated Press
By ROBERT H. REID
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. forces sealed off a house in the northern city of Mosul where eight suspected al-Qaida members died in a gunfight - some by their own hand to avoid capture. A U.S. official said Sunday that efforts were under way to determine if terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was among the dead.
Insurgents, meanwhile, killed an American soldier and a Marine in separate attacks over the weekend, while a British soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in the south.
In Washington, a U.S. official said the identities of the terror suspects killed in the Saturday raid was unknown. Asked if they could include al-Zarqawi, the official replied: "There are efforts under way to determine if he was killed."
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
On Saturday, police Brig. Gen. Said Ahmed al-Jubouri said the raid was launched after a tip that top al-Qaida operatives, possibly including al-Zarqawi, were in the house in the northeastern part of the city.
During the intense gunbattle that followed, three insurgents detonated explosives and killed themselves to avoid capture, Iraqi officials said. Eleven Americans were wounded, the U.S. military said. Such intense resistance often suggests an attempt to defend a high-value target.
American soldiers controlled the site Sunday, and residents said helicopters flew over the area throughout the day. Some residents said the tight security was reminiscent of the July 2003 operation in which Saddam Hussein's sons, Odai and Qusai, were killed in Mosul.
The elusive al-Zarqawi has narrowly escaped capture in the past. U.S. forces said they nearly caught him in a February 2005 raid that recovered his computer.
<font size="4"><center>US forces and forensic experts are examining the bodies
of eight high-ranking al Qaeda leaders in Mosul to find out
if their chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is among them</font size></center>
November 20, 2005, 8:28 PM (GMT+02:00)
A sample of his DNA is in American possession for a match-up.
The bodies they are trying to identify are of 7 men and one woman, who blew themselves up Sunday, Nov. 20, after their hideout in northern Iraq was under siege by a large US force, backed by tanks and helicopters. The bodies are burned black and unrecognizable. Four Iraqi security officers were killed and 10 injured in the operation.
DEBKAfile’s military sources add that also Sunday, US and Iraqi forces raided al Qaeda sanctuaries in Baghdad and captured several suspects. They followed an intelligence tip which confirmed DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s disclosure (Issue 227 Oct. 28) of the arrival of Zarqawi and his top team to Baghdad on Oct. 15.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=1280
of eight high-ranking al Qaeda leaders in Mosul to find out
if their chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is among them</font size></center>
November 20, 2005, 8:28 PM (GMT+02:00)
A sample of his DNA is in American possession for a match-up.
The bodies they are trying to identify are of 7 men and one woman, who blew themselves up Sunday, Nov. 20, after their hideout in northern Iraq was under siege by a large US force, backed by tanks and helicopters. The bodies are burned black and unrecognizable. Four Iraqi security officers were killed and 10 injured in the operation.
DEBKAfile’s military sources add that also Sunday, US and Iraqi forces raided al Qaeda sanctuaries in Baghdad and captured several suspects. They followed an intelligence tip which confirmed DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s disclosure (Issue 227 Oct. 28) of the arrival of Zarqawi and his top team to Baghdad on Oct. 15.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=1280
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