Ammon News - Today, Saturday, commemorates the 19th anniversary of the bombings that struck 3 hotels in Amman, the capital, resulting in 60 deaths and over 200 injuries, as Jordan persists in its fight against terrorism.
On November 9, 2005, at 9:30 pm Amman time, the initial bombing occurred at the entrance of the Radisson SAS Hotel (as it was known then), followed shortly by a second explosion at the Hyatt Amman Hotel, and a third attack aimed at the Days Inn Hotel, all executed with explosive belts.
His Majesty King Abdullah II has stated multiple times that the terrorism affecting the region "aims to misrepresent Islam and its message of tolerance," emphasizing that the terrorist actions aimed at Jordan's security "strengthen the resolve of Jordanians to eradicate terrorism and diminish its influence."
Terrorist activities observed in Jordan since 2002.
October 28, 2002: The killing of diplomat Lawrence Foley, a representative at the US Agency for International Development in Amman. The operation was attributed to a group connected to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is associated with al-Qaeda.
August 19, 2004: A person was killed and four were wounded when Katyusha rockets struck a military hospital in Aqaba, in an operation attributed to al-Zarqawi's group.
November 9, 2005: A total of 60 individuals lost their lives and hundreds sustained injuries in bomb attacks aimed at three hotels in Amman, for which al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia took responsibility.
March 2, 2016: A security officer belonging to the Special Forces lost his life in Irbid while assaulting the headquarters of a group linked to the terrorist organization "Islamic State," referred to as "ISIS."
June 6, 2016: An armed assault on a headquarters linked to the Intelligence Department in Baqaa resulted in the deaths of five members of the General Intelligence Department.
June 21, 2016: A suicide car bombing aimed at an advanced military facility for refugee services in the Rukban area on the Syrian side resulted in the deaths of six members of the Border Guard and Public Security forces.
December 18, 2016: Four Public Security Forces members, three Gendarmerie members, two Jordanian citizens, and a Canadian tourist lost their lives during the assault on Karak Castle, where an ISIS-linked terrorist group was concealed.
From the second day of the Amman bombings, Jordan seemed to show resilience, as King Abdullah II spoke to the Jordanian populace, emphasizing that this is not the first instance of such despicable terrorist assaults on Jordan. He noted that Jordan faces more targeting than others for several reasons, including its significant role in safeguarding the essence of tolerant Islam, which encompasses moderation, centrism, and tolerance. He highlighted the fight against terrorists who take innocent lives under the guise of Islam, asserting that Islam is blameless for their actions, in addition to Jordan's commitment to defending the Palestinian cause, protecting Islamic holy sites, and supporting peoples striving for freedom and the right to self-determination, particularly the brotherly Palestinian population.
The Amman bombings marked an important turning point in Jordanian laws and legislation against terrorism in all its forms. After the painful Amman bombings, Jordan took precautions to put in place many precautionary and preventive measures against terrorism, and cooperated with all relevant internal and external parties to eliminate the scourge of terrorism that entered Jordan, the defender of its national and Islamic identity.
The Amman bombings also posed a challenge and a sense of responsibility towards the homeland to every Jordanian, and consolidated the concept of citizenship, strengthened the principles of moderation, moderation and self-awareness, and increased trust between the citizen and the state and its various agencies, so that Jordan would always be an impregnable fortress in the face of every saboteur or spiteful person. It is the fortress to which the sons of the nation resort whenever the situation intensifies and darkness intensifies.
Jordan has implemented several stringent actions to fight terrorism, particularly following the Amman bombings. This includes legislative efforts, such as amending the Jordanian Penal Code (the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2006) to consolidate legal texts concerning terrorism into a single statute. The law is designed to align with regional and global developments, as well as advancements in modern communication methods. This legislation was modified in 2014, resulting in a redefinition of terrorism that broadened the criminalization of various acts as terrorist activities, while also heightening the penalties for such acts and enforcing harsh consequences for any actions deemed terrorist under the law, additionally criminalizing individuals who establish groups with the aim of committing terrorism. The law was revised for the third time (through the modified Anti-Terrorism Law of 2016), which granted extensive authority to administrative governors and security and military agencies in addressing terrorist activities. At the level of operational procedures, the Jordanian government provided directives to all banks functioning within the Kingdom, which include the obligation to review their customers’ accounts and guarantee that balances are frozen at the government's request, as well as guidelines for tackling money laundering. The Jordanian security forces also carry out operations to share intelligence data in a manner that supports the battle against terrorism with numerous allied nations and Interpol. Certain operations are performed under numerous bilateral agreements focused on security cooperation, and security agencies oversee the trade of raw materials used in creating dangerous substances to ensure they are not exploited for terrorist activities.
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