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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Day's Inn hotel also hit, at least 18 dead
2005-11-09
Explosions hit three hotels in the Jordanian capital Wednesday night, killing at least 18 people and wounding some 120. The first blast occurred at about 8:50 p.m. (1850 GMT) at the luxury Grand Hyatt hotel, popular with tourists and diplomats. Associated Press reporter Jamal Halaby, who was at the hotel, counted seven bodies being taken away. Police said there were many others injured.

A few minutes later, police reported an explosion at the Radisson SAS Hotel a short distance away. Police said five people were killed and at least 20 wounded. Another explosion was reported at the Days Inn Hotel, and police said there were casualties. Police had no word on what caused the explosions, although an American businessman at the Grand Hyatt said a bomb went off in the lobby. Witnesses saw smoke rising from the building.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#16  Looks like Osama and the Burqua Boyz have l'serieuse issues wid the Marriott Corps, etc. -Penn State to follow???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2005-11-09 23:22  

#15  Another targeted the hotel bar. I wonder how many journalists amoung the victims?
Posted by: phil_b   2005-11-09 22:42  

#14  So who was at the wedding, I wonder?
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-11-09 22:07  

#13  The wedding reception has to be local bigwigs.
Posted by: phil_b   2005-11-09 21:56  

#12  Well theres your target profile, contractors headed to Iraq. Thanks TW.
Posted by: Besoeker   2005-11-09 21:19  

#11  NPR had a reporter speaking from Amman this afternoon... she sounded like an ex-pat wife, rather than a professional. She said the hotels that were boomed (she mentioned 56 killed, 120 wounded) were full of contractors going to Iraq, and one of them was where the Israelis like to stay when they are in town. She also said that generally it's pretty safe over there, no need (generally) for things like car-free zones and metal detector gates, "like they need in Egypt." But, she said, when a problem is suspected [or realized, in this case], the hotels where foreigners stay are locked down with the Jordanian Army guarding the entrances, all traffic is pushed some distance away (I didn't catch the distance, sorry), and the parking lots immediately cleared of all cars.
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-11-09 21:16  

#10  I liked this comment:

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.

Posted by: Chineth Hupavilet9597   2005-11-09 20:48  

#9  Interesting comments on Mental mayhem (Jordanian Blogger in the US)

http://www.mentalmayhem.org/mental_mayhem/2005/11/breaking_news_e.html#comments
Posted by: SwissTex   2005-11-09 20:39  

#8  disenfrenchized yout? pterrs? Uh...Well, HULLO! theez peeps need r HELP! Duh!
Posted by: asymmetrical triangulation   2005-11-09 20:21  

#7  jeebus. there shure get all wig owt by em kyoot litle lizerd.
Posted by: muck4doo   2005-11-09 18:40  

#6  Here Muck, A movie of a Lizard gone nutz amongst Skool chilren.... very safe for work.... if you work in a lunatic asseyelum.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-11-09 17:28  

#5  Damn Muck are you like hardwired?
Posted by: Shipman   2005-11-09 17:07  

#4  FOX also reported that diplomats and Iraqi officials also did business at these hotels, as some fear traveling to Baghdad these days. Who was staying there? Zarqawi also was just said to have moved into Baghdad with official looking high level uniforms and was also instructed to move out of Iraq to further the cause....was he personally involved, not trusting old networks as Jordan has proven to close in on many of the Islamists? Wasn't a Saudi just given command of AQ in Iraq and diplomats specifically threatened? I think Zarq is on the move.
Posted by: Danielle   2005-11-09 15:53  

#3  roomer has it polise are chasin em car with iraqi lisense plate.
Posted by: muck4doo   2005-11-09 15:45  

#2  DEBKA: November 9, 2005, 9:12 PM (GMT+02:00)Scores of dead in explosions that struck three five-star hotels in central Amman Wednesday night. Days Inn Hotel was hit third after Grand Hyatt and US-owned Radisson Hotel.
Many injured. These hotels are frequented by tourists and foreign contractors going in and out of Iraq.
DEBKAfile: Jordan is known to be under threat of terror attack by Abu Musab al Zarqawi, himself a Jordanian Palestinian. Police report the Radisson bomb was planted in a false ceiling. A column of smoke is rising over the Jebal district. Amman goes on high terror alert and special security measures imposed for the royal palaces, government and security facilities.
Posted by: Steve   2005-11-09 15:40  

#1  Rooters: Three suspected suicide bombers blew themselves up in three hotels in Amman on Wednesday and many people were feared dead, Jordan's official news agency, Petra, reported.

The agency, quoting a police spokesman, said the three targeted hotels were the Radisson SAS, the Grand Hyatt, and the Days Inn. The three hotels are popular with Western and Israeli tourists.

Posted by: phil_b   2005-11-09 15:27  

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