King: Our homeland will remain united against terrorism

AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday marked the 11th anniversary of the Amman hotel bombings, which killed 60 people and injured over 115.

“Today, we pay tribute to the martyrs of the Amman bombings,” His Majesty King Abdullah said in a post on the Royal Court’s social media channels.

The bombings, perpetrated by “the hand of treachery and criminality”, have “fuelled our determination to fight the enemies of humanity”, the King added.

“Our homeland, with the determination of its children, will remain united as one in the face of extremism, terrorism and the enemies of our tolerant Islamic religion,” His Majesty said.

On November 9, 2005, a string of coordinated suicide bombings targeted the Radisson SAS Hotel — now known as the Landmark Hotel — Grand Hyatt and Days Inn hotels. 

At the Radisson SAS, the suicide bombing targeted a wedding reception, killing 36.

Safa Mohammad Ali, Rawad Jassem and Ali Hussein Rishawi were identified as the bombers.

A fourth, Sajida Rishawi, was planning to blow herself up with husband Ali Hussein at the Radisson SAS but her explosive belt failed to detonate.

She was tried and sentenced to death for possessing explosives with illicit intent and plotting subversive acts that led to the death of individuals.

Rishawi was executed in 2015.

Six other people who were tried in absentia on the same charges were also sentenced to death.

Marking the anniversary, Prime Minister Hani Mulki said at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the “painful memory of this brutal crime will only makes us more determined to fight” the forces “of evil and extremism”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Paying tribute to the “martyrs of the homeland”, Mulki said Jordanians of all stripes stand united with their Hashemite leadership and their armed forces.

He noted that Jordan will not be swayed from the path of reform, according to Petra.

In a statement carried by Petra and issued on the anniversary of the bombings, Theophilos III, Orthodox patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan, commended Jordanians unity — Christians and Muslims — in the face of terrorism.

He also thanked King Abdullah for his continuing efforts to safeguard Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, Petra reported.