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.
Aljazeera:
Bomber headed towards the bar at the Radisson SAS, saw there was a party in the ballroom so he headed there and stood in the middle and blew himself up.
The entire ceiling of the ballroom collapsed.
Body parts litter the wedding reception.
Aljazeera has names of those killed but is not releasing at the moment.
They say two Jordanian families at the wedding.
Most of the dead are from the Radisson and of Jordanian origin.
More later …
A doctor at Amman Surgical Hospital (am translating here) said all the injured were Jordanians and a few Iraqis.
A Jordanian journalist has just said that three people attending the wedding – two Iraqis and one Bahraini – died on their way to the hospital.
Mustapha Akkad – the famous Syrian-American director and producer (The Message, Halloween) was in the Radisson and that his daughter Reem was wounded in the blast.
It is not known if she was attending the wedding.
Jordanian deputy prime minister said no one has been arrested yet, but news is being updated as I write this.
I know I noticed and I just heard that they arrested 3 Iraqis!
Okay, this might be nothing but in the us the date is 11/9/2005
but in europe its 9/11/2005
Okay Press conference.
Two suicide attackers – one targeted the wedding specifically at the Radisson SAS.
Jordanian wedding.
Repeat. This wedding reception WAS SPECIFICALLY targeted, Jordanian officials are saying.
The attack at the Grand Hyatt was of a similar nature.
Suicide car used at the Days Inn.
Border crossings have all been closed.
Jordanian officials cant confirm diplomats’ injuries.
Aljazeera reported Koreans were killed.
Me too, Natasha! I’m in this ancient castle in the Alps of Austria and all I want is my family and my adopted country. Glad Tania got home OK.
Phone lines are down but SKYPE is ok.
A WEDDING! HOW COULD HE DO THAT? Walk into a wedding and kill people? Evil, despicable, depraved wickedness.
Natasha, Don’t go crazy…
Jordan was strong before this. Is strong. And will be strong after this.
I will update as I hear anything.
Metalordie,
Thank you for all the update.. Please keep it coming… I’m going crazy in here
Aljazeera just showed video footage of young children being treated at local hospitals.
I think these are injured from the wedding reception.
Oh, for the love of god, a baby of about two months with an arm bandaged.
…..
Kinzi,
Am glad your children slept through this.
Am watching this all unfold on Aljazeera.
They’re saying a wedding reception attended by 250-300 people was hit at the Radisson SAS.
Apparently, someone carrying explosives ran into the middle of the ballroom.
They just updated the death toll to 67 dead.
But am not sure of this figure.
Wait yes, the deputy prime minister just said 67 dead and at least 150 injured.
He also said they suspect the Zarqawi-led group Al Qaida in Iraq.