it carried out three suicide bombings on US-owned hotels that killed at least 56 people, to punish Christians and Jews.
"A group of our best lions launched a new attack on some dens … After casing the targets, some hotels were chosen which the Jordanian despot turned into a backyard for the enemies of the faith, the Jews and crusaders," al-Qaida’s Iraq group said in an Internet statement.
It also lashed out to Jordan, which has established close relations with Israel and is promoting Christian tourism in the country, BosNewsLife monitored. "Let the tyrant of Amman know that his protection…for the Jews has become a target for the mujahideen and their attacks, and let him expect the worst," al-Qaida in Iraq added.
The claim of responsibility did not name King Abdullah II but the reference to the "tyrant of Jordan," was seen as a code word for the monarch. After the statement was published hunderds was angry Jordanians rallied outside one of the three attacked hotels shouting, "Burn in hell, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi!" a reference to one of the main leaders of the group.
Jordanian Government Spokesman Bassel Tarawneh lowered the death toll to 56 Thursday, November 10, citing confusion in the early hours after the blasts which initially spoke of as many as 67 people killed. However in published remarks Tarawneh warned the death toll was likely to rise slightly.
FOREIGNERS KILLED
He said the victims included 15 Jordanians, one Saudi, one Palestinian, five Iraqis, three Chinese, one Indonesian and 30 others whose identification has not yet been determined. Two senior Palestinian officials, too, have been killed in the blasts, Arabic broadcasting network Aljazeera reported citing a Palestinian official.
There was not explanation for that discrepancy. The nearly simultaneous attacks late Wednesday also wounded more than 115 people, police said. They detained several people overnight, although it was unclear if those being held were of suspects or witnesses, several news reports said.
Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister Marwan Muasher said shortly after the blasts that al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a "prime suspect." The Jordanian-born al-Zarqawi is known for his animosity to the country’s Hashemite monarchy, analysts say.
SUICIDE ATTACKS
In Wednesday’s attacks, the suicide bombers detonated explosives at the Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS and Days Inn hotels just before 9 p.m. local time. One of the explosions took place inside a hall where 300 guests were celebrating a wedding.
Until late Wednesday, November 9, Amman — a comfortable, hilly city of white stone villas and glitzy high-rises — had mostly avoided large-scale attacks and was a welcome sanctuary of stability in a troubled region. The streets of the capital appeared deserted Thursday, November 10, which was declared a day of mourning. Public and private offices were closed under government instructions, apparently to allow tightened security measures to take hold, reporters said.
The suicide attacks were expected to raise fears that Christian tourists would stay away from Jordanian Biblical sites, which include the Baptism Site, Bethany Beyond the Jordan. (With BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLifse Research and reports from Jordan)
