The Jordanian Royal Family and the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

[maryshawn]

In the coverage on AOL today, it said the woman was pushed out of the ballroom by her husband after she had problems with the detonation device on her belt. She also said they entered the ballroom and saw "a group of children, women and men" so they knew who they were going to hit. This is so utterly deplorable it defies imagination. I hope the experts who have been appearing on CNN, MSNBC and FOX saying this act has created dissention within the ranks of terrorists are correct. Al Zarqawi is apparently increasingly seen as a renegade who is following his own agenda--and that is murder for the sake of murder. It's alway interesting to me that the madmen who mastermind these attacks put others on the front lines and never try to "sacrifice" themselves. Apparently, their belief in their cause is not so great they feel it's worth it.

[Humera]

I actually thought, as the media was saying a over the past day or two, that the woman died with her husband. But as it turns out, she's alive.
Is she the wife of the man who ordered an orange juice at the hotel, tried to diffuse his bomb and when it didnt work, he went out to make some adjustments, and went back in after 15 minutes and then blew himself up.

I saw King Abdullah's interview on CNN last night and he was quite blunt at one point about the sort of people that carry out suicide attacks. He said something that many in the media have mentioned since the attack took place, which was what sort of person goes into a hotel, sees a wedding party, full of innocent men, women and children, and decides to blow them up? KA said that all these people want to do is to kill Muslims. Which is true because there was a group of westerners in the hotel, very near the wedding party. Yet the suicide bomber chose to kill the wedding party, instead of the westerners.
One can only wonder at the minds of these people. I am very glad the female bomber was arrested. There are pictures of her on Petra. I hope she can give the Jordanian authorities the information they need to prevent such attacks in the future.


King announces arrest of the female bomber suspect (Petra)

[maryshawn]

My understanding is that the man who was at the bar and then left to correct some problem with his detonation device was at the Day's Inn and this was at the hotel hosting the wedding reception, the Hyatt? While her statement is a bit scattered, the part that I found particularly horrendous is when she stated they entered the ballroom of the reception and saw "children, women and men" and tried to position themselves so the maximum amount of damage would occur. But for the fact her device did not go off, the death toll would be even higher. And, from her statement, they deliberately targeted the party--seeing little children and fellow muslims there! (I say "fellow muslims" but the truth is they are obviously not one with those of their faith--if it is their faith). Deplorable and hideous! And, yes, I, too, am glad they caught her after she admitted to "running out with the crowds." I wonder why she ran if she wanted to die in this monstrous display of evil! What is the penalty in Jordan for participating in this crime? What is the penalty for those who may not have been there but conspired? If anyone knows, I'd appreciate the information. One would think the death sentence would be the penalty....but I don't know if that is the case in Jordan.

[maryshawn]

Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, 35, made her statement hours after being arrested by authorities tipped off by an al-Qaida in Iraq claim that a husband-and-wife team participated in Wednesday's bombings at three U.S.-based hotels. The attackers killed 57 other people at the Radisson SAS, Grand Hyatt and Days Inn hotels.
Al-Rishawi's brother was once the right-hand man to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, said deputy premier Marwan Muasher. He said the brother, Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, was killed in the former terrorist stronghold of Fallujah, Iraq.
Officials believe al-Rishawi, who entered Jordan from Iraq on Nov. 5, may provide significant information about the operations of al-Zarqawi's group, which claimed responsibility for the hotel bombings, Jordan's deadliest terrorist attacks. The group said the attacks were retaliation for Jordan supporting the United States and other Western powers.
Al-Rishawi was shown on state television wearing a white head scarf, a buttoned, body-length dark denim dress, and belts packed with TNT and ball bearings. Muasher told CNN the belts were captured with her.
Al-Rishawi said she and her husband, Ali Hussein Ali al-Shamari, 35, were wearing explosive-laden belts when they strolled into a Radisson ballroom where hundreds of guests, including children, were attending a Jordanian-Palestinian wedding reception.
"My husband wore a belt and put one on me. He taught me how to use it, how to pull the (primer cord) and operate it," she said, wringing her hands.
"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."
Muasher said al-Rishawi's husband noticed her struggle and pushed her out of the ballroom in order not to attract attention before blowing himself up.
After a second showing of the tape, a TV announcer cited security officials as saying the woman gave no further details because "she was still suffering from the shock of the blasts and her subsequent arrest."
Al-Rishawi was arrested Sunday morning at a "safe house" in the same Amman suburb where her husband and the other two bombers rented a furnished apartment, a top Jordanian security official said.
Jordanian security was tipped off to her presence by al-Qaida in Iraq's claim of a female bomber, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists. The group apparently assumed she was killed in the blasts.
"There were leads that more people had been involved, but it was not clear that it was a woman and we had no idea on her nationality," the official said.
Al-Rishawi, who is from the volatile Anbar province town of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, said on state TV that she entered Jordan from Iraq four days before the attacks with her husband and two other men using fake passports. She said they rode across the border in a white car with a driver and another passenger.
"My husband arranged our trip from there, I don't know," she said, adding that they rented a furnished apartment in a middle-class suburb of western Amman. She said bombers took taxis to the hotels.
Jordan officials confirmed the three bombers were Iraqis. Al-Rishawi did not name the other two, but Jordanian authorities identified them as Rawad Jassem Mohammed Abed and Safaa Mohammed Ali, both 23.
Muasher said investigations showed no Jordanians were involved, but several local followers of al-Zarqawi have been arrested.
King Abdullah II told NBC's "Meet the Press" that "all Jordanians are unified, in that they want the people who are responsible for these crimes to be brought to justice."
"If we know where they are, even if it's beyond the borders of Jordan, we will give it the best shot possible to bring these people to justice," he said.
Jordanian counterterrorism officials believe al-Rishawi could provide significant leads into al-Zarqawi's whereabouts and his terrorist operations in Iraq.
But the officials, insisting on anonymity because of the sensitivity of their positions, also fear her capture may spur al-Zarqawi to avenge the arrest with more attacks in Jordan or against Jordanian interests abroad.
Al-Zarqawi, who traveled from militant training grounds in Afghanistan to Iraq before the U.S.-led 2003 war, has been sentenced to death in absentia here for terrorism-related crimes. He has vowed to topple the kingdom's moderate Hashemite rulers. The U.S. government is offering a $25 million bounty for information leading to his capture.
Residents of Iraq's Anbar province said al-Rishawi comes from a clan living mostly in Ramadi, an insurgent stronghold about 70 miles west of Baghdad.
Ironically, the clan, known variously as the Burishas and the Rishawis, is known for its good ties with the Americans. Its members include Iraq's defense minister, Saadoun al-Dulaimi, who visited Jordan on Sunday.
Al-Dulaimi offered Jordan his government's support in the bombing probe and warned that unchecked violence in Iraq will spread terrorism across the region.
He also accused Syria of letting Islamic extremists train on its soil and enter Iraq to carry out terrorist attacks. The United States and Iraq have repeatedly called on Syria to lock down its borders and stop al-Qaida extremists from entering Iraq.
During a tour of the Radisson on Sunday, former President Clinton offered his support to "defeat this kind of destructive terror that murdered children and other innocents."
Muasher said the hotels were chosen because they were "easy targets," referring to the lax security before the attacks. Security measures have been increased.
The wedding was targeted because the bombers wanted to "inflict the biggest number of casualties and victims," Muasher said. The security official said the Radisson also was targeted is because it is a favorite for Israeli tourists.
The bomb strapped to al-Rishawi's husband was packed with the powerful explosive RDX and ball bearings and designed to kill as many people as possible, Muasher said.
The bombing has raised fears that al-Zarqawi's terror campaign has gained enough momentum to spread throughout the region.
Despite the Iraqi involvement, Muasher insisted relations with its eastern neighbor are unlikely to suffer.
"It's true that the terrorists are Iraqis, but this doesn't mean that the Iraqi government is involved or condones such actions," he said. "We all know that the (Iraqi) government suffers from this group."
AP-ES-11-13-05 1622EST

[Humera]

King, Queen Receive Clinton & his Spouse

His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah on Sunday received former US President Bill Clinton and his spouse Hilary Clinton, who expressed their profound condolences for Jordan leadership and people on the victims of terrorist attacks that targeted Jordan last Wednesday.

http://www.petra.gov.jo/nepras/2005/Nov/13/28778600.htm

Picture from Petra:


More pictures of Bill and Hillary Clinton's visit to the bomb sites and the injured in hospital here:
http://www.petranews.gov.jo/nepras/2.../APDaily1.htmv

[Humera]

Princesses Aisha, Rym, and Ayah al-Feisal take part in a rally (Petra)

[purple_platinum]

Originally Posted by ~*~Humera~*~

Princesses Aisha, Rym, and Ayah al-Feisal take part in a rally (Petra)

thanks for these pics, humera!
is that really Princess Rym? how come she looked so different, somehow so tired... the new baby and this terror effect seemed to have effect her so much.

[Australian]

There was an article about the bombing in the Sunday Times in Perth Australia, and it had a large picture of Queen Rania sympathiseing with victims and i think it showed her in tears. It was quite the pic

[houri]

Queen Rania on abc news in the this week program .

[houri]

it was a good interview in my opinion , she said we face a mental war don't have boundaries and the jordanian people live between two occupied countries and how this have a big effect on them etc ... , it is not literal translating but this what I understood .

[Queen Mary I]

Originally Posted by houri

Queen Rania on abc news in the this week program .

I have so much admiration for Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania. They are both young yet so mature, and poised and both command respect.

:)

[reeda2000]

Originally Posted by bijoux

Hello everyone, this is my first post.

I was horrified to hear what has happened in Jordan. My heart goes out to all those who were injured and killed. May the ones responsible for these insane actions be caught and brought to justice quickly.

welcome................:)

[suria]

http://www.petra.gov.jo/nepras/2005/Nov/13/2497I.htm

There RH princesses participate in a silent march

[suria]

more photos from the event

from gettyimages and newscom

[suria]

more pictuers for PA from newscam and petra

[suria]

Originally Posted by purple_platinum

thanks for these pics, humera!
is that really Princess Rym? how come she looked so different, somehow so tired... the new baby and this terror effect seemed to have effect her so much.

i:( agree with you , even PA doesn't seem good , the terror attack effect on him too , Rym looks so tired and Ali's eyes are full of tears i watched a full report yesterday about the king activities and PA was with him , you can surly tell that he was crying ....:(

[Little_star]

I haven't logged on all weekend so this thread has really kept me up to date. I cannot understand why a husband and wife would do such a thing. the mind baffles.
I just hope that the speedy arrests continue. The authorities response has been quick and efficient, just like it was after the July Bombings here in the UK. But to all Jordanians, don't give up hope and support in your country. You have done nothing wrong to warrant such a hinous attack.