UPDATE 3: Who are the culprits? Since no one has claimed responsibility for the barbaric attacks, speculation has already begun and almost everyone is pointing to the one and only Zarqawi. He has threatened Jordan publicly a number of times so no surprise there. Also, these similtaneous attacks bear the hallmarks of Al-Qeada. I would say the culprits are either Zarqawi or an al-Qaeda copycat. But I was surprised to hear Salamet Ne’mat, the director of Al-Hayat office in DC, saying on CNN that Syria might be linked to this. Ha? Why Syria? What kind of an analysis is this!
UPDATE 2: I just finished chatting with my sister. She just got home. It was difficult for her to get inside the neighborhood of Rabieh where my parents live and where one of the hotels was attacked. The police cordoned off the area completely and she was stuck in her car on the outskirts of Rabieyh for almost an hour. She made it home with the help of one policeman. The Days Inn Hotel, which was the third hotel attacked, is only one mile away from where my family lives. She said they can smell the smoke from our house. This is just horrible!
I’m a bit calmer now that I know that my immediate family members and most of my friends are okay. Thank God! Now it is time to unleash my anger at the bloodsucking low-life barbarians that attacked my country and killed my people.
May you enjoy the hell that is awaiting you, where, to your dismay, you will be greeted by seven demons instead of your long-awaited virgins! May you rot in hell over and over again along with Zarqawi, Bin Laden, Bin Shit and all those that support you. Nothing in the world can justify this. Those that try to justify this can rot in hell as well! May God protect my country and my people. May God bless the souls of those barbarically massacred today. We will never forget!
UPDATE: Here is the latest: Aljazeera is reporting that three explosins occurred in Amman. One at the Radission SAS, one at the Grand Hyatt and one at Days Inn in Rabyeh neighbourhood. My parents, my sisters and maybe half of Jordan live in Rabyeh. My parents live very close to the Days Inn. I just called them and thank God they are fine. Dad said he heard the explosion. The death toll so far is 18!!
I’m shaking as I’m writing this. I do not know what to say anymore. I’m appalled, disgusted and on the verge of tears. My sister is still driving back home and I can’t get a hold of her. I feel like smashing this monitor right now!
Here is the MSNBC report. A Yahoo slideshow here and Sabbah’s Flicker. AP is running a continuing update here …
An explosion shook the Grand Hyatt hotel in Jordan’s capital late Wednesday, and witnesses saw smoke rising from the building. A police official said some people had been killed, "and there are many wounded." An American businessman who was at the hotel when the explosion occurred, said a "bomb that went off in the lobby." He declined to identify himself.
Police said the cause of the explosion was unknown. A black cloud of smoke was seen rising from the building in the commercial Jebel Amman district following the blast at about 8:50 p.m. (1:50 p.m. EST). Ambulances were seen rushing to the hotel.
Metal, it’s good to hear from you again and thanks for your concern. I can’t believe I’m on my very first business trip away from my family and this happens!
My kids slept through the blast that rocked our house, and thank God, won’t be going to school tomorrow. I’m so afraid this will make them fear living in jordan, and it will cease to be their home in their hearts.
Hope you can still come to Amman.
The Chinese Embassy and Ambassador’s residence is not far from Days Inn.
Aljazeera just showed pictures of at least three “Asian” gentlemen dead outside the Days Inn.
Three hundred reported injured now.
This is shocking news even though we’ve been hearing for a while that Jordan is targeted but it never occurred to me at least that these barbarians were going through their threats, this is outrageous.
I am glad that your family is ok, may Allah guard Jordan and its people from any harm.
Linda,
Simply monstrous. I was just telling a Jordanian friend yesterday how much I loved Amman this summer. It’s become a metropolitan city attracting so many Arabas. And so many Iraqis.
I am going a bit crazy watching these images of the Radisson where I booked to stay three weeks from tomorrow. Many Iraqis stay at that hotel.
I am still going and if the hotel is functioning I will stay there inshallah.
Amman is a second home to many and it we should all stand by it.
natasha, i am happy to hear your family is safe. god bless the victims and their families.
and yes, the number went up to 53 according to the jordanian prime ministers office.
They are saying as well that it was a wedding taking place in the radisson.
God bless jordan
Aljazeera is saying a party held by “Asian” diplomats was hit at the Days Inn. They are quoting a Jordanian source (didn’t catch his name) saying a man with an explosive belt ran into the crowd.
This is crazy! I am just shocked at the ugliness of this horrible crime. May God protect beautiful Amman and its people.
Aparently, a wedding party in one of the hotels was hit.
I can’t believe this. I hope it’s not true.
I just called my cousin in Amman a few minutes ago. She said she attended a wedding there yesterday.
Her husband performs at popular nightclubs in the city.
Jordanian officials are saying they expect the death toll to go up to 53 now!
I am horrified.