November 11, 2005

SAUDI ARABIA SECURES THE REPATRIATION OF A TERRORIST FROM THE WANTED LIST. TERRORISM HITS JORDAN KILLING DOZENS AND WOUNDING HUNDREDS. KING ABDULLAH II VOWS TO TAKE THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK TO JUSTICE. THE FRENCH MINISTER OF INTERIOR ORDERS THE EXPULSION OF FOREIGNERS CONVICTED OF TAKING PART IN THE VIOLENT ATTACKS. Saudi Arabia has secured the repatriation of a man who is on the Kingdom's list of 36 most-wanted terrorists, the Interior Ministry said. "Adnan Ibn Abdullah Ibn Fares Al-Amri, whose name appears on the list of wanted people, has been repatriated from abroad," said a spokesman of the ministry in a brief statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. The spokesman did not specify from which country Al-Amri, 28, was repatriated, nor did he provide any details about the man's extradition. He was one of 36 men on a list of most wanted militants published in June. Of the list of 36 wanted suspects published in June, the Interior Ministry said 21 were abroad and the remainder in Saudi Arabia. Others on the list have been captured, killed, or have handed themselves in. The Kingdom has been battling a deadly wave of Al-Qaeda linked violence since May 2003. Terrorism has once again revealed its repulsive face, this time in the heart of Jordanian capital, Amman, after three explosions claimed the lives of 56 people in three of the city's hotels, and wounding 102 others. The first of the blasts that went off on Wednesday targeted the Radisson SAS, where a wedding was being held. The bride's white gown was no sooner blotched with the red stains of betrayal and terrorism, and the festive atmosphere was replaced with melancholy and sorrow, mingled with the cries of pain and loss. A closer look at the victims and their origins makes one realize that terrorism has become random in its killings, for among those killed were five Iraqis, three Chinese, a Saudi, an Indonesian and a Palestinian, while the number of identified Jordanians was 16. The identity of 30 corpses remains to be determined, and among the dozens wounded are Arabs, Asian, Europeans and one American. If there is a message to be understood from these terrorist attacks on Amman, it is that the international counter-terrorism efforts have closed in on terrorists, making them kill and destroy randomly with a sole aim; to spill blood and kill the innocent. Another message is that terrorism knows no religion or identity, and may strike anywhere and anytime without so much as a thought for ethics, religious teachings or humanitarian principles. Jordanian King Abdullah II condemned the bombing attacks as criminal acts. The attacks are criminal acts committed by a few of astray individuals, King Abdullah was quoted as saying in a statement. These terrorist attacks would not sway Amman playing a role in combating terror, said the king, vowing to take those responsible for the attack to justice, as Jordan would "remain a safe country". The large protest of Jordanians dressed in black and sadness in the streets of Amman ushers one truth, that terrorism's ploys and false pretences are by now known to the whole world. As for international condemnation of the attacks, they reflect a human act of solidarity that far surpasses in its strength the bombs of terrorists, affirming once again that people would remain united in the face of extremism. All those who saw the scenes of the three explosions depicted the graveness of the tragedy, and our only solace is that terrorism has become further renounced and hated than any time before. A statement attributed to the Al-Qaida in Iraq group claimed that four Iraqis, including a husband and wife, carried out the Amman suicide bombings that killed 57 people. Jordanian police, meanwhile, arrested 120 Jordanians and Iraqis in the hunt for anyone who might have aided them. Thousands of Jordanians protested in Amman for a second straight day, condemning the attacks and denouncing Al-Qaida in Iraq's leader, Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. "Al-Zarqawi, you are a coward! Amman will remain safe!" chanted 3,000 protesters who marched through the capital. The toll rose to 57, including two Americans, with the death of Syrian-American filmmaker Mustapha Akkad. Akkad, of Los Angeles, suffered serious injuries and a heart attack in the Hyatt bombing, which also killed his daughter Rima Akkad Monla, an American living in Beirut. The statement on behalf of Al-Qaida in Iraq was the third issued since the nearly simultaneous bombings night at the Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS and Days Inn hotels. The hotels were frequented by foreigners, particularly Israelis and Americans. Authorities have not yet said with certainty that Iraqis were involved in the attack, Jordan's deadliest ever, but speculation has been high that al-Zarqawi has been trying to spread his group's influence outside Iraq. Police have said only that three suicide bombers including one with an Iraqi accent were behind the attacks. The statement said all the bombers "are Iraqis from the land between the two rivers," alluding to Iraq's ancient name, Mesopotamia. "They vowed to die and they chose the shortest route to receive the blessings of God," it said. It was not possible to authenticate the claim, but it appeared on a site that has included past al-Qaida statements, including Thursday's claim of responsibility. The statement, signed by group spokesman Abu Maysara al-Iraqi, said the four included a woman "who chose to accompany her husband to his martyrdom." The Jordanian government accused the leader of al-Qaida organization in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi of being the main suspect in the three explosions which shook three hotels in the capital Amman. The Jordanian deputy prime minister Marwan al-Muaashar said in a televised statement that al-Qaida and al-Zarqawi are deliberately involved in the missile attacks in Aqaba several months ago. "As you know I believe that he is the main suspect in this case but I can not say that this has been confirmed." So far no side claimed responsibility for the explosions. The three explosions took place in three various hotels in the Jordanian capital Amman and resulted in killing 67 persons and injuring 300 others. The three explosions targeted "Grand Hayat," " Radisson," in addition to Days Inn hotel" which is situated in al-Rabeya quarters near the Israeli embassy. The three explosions took place consequently at 7 p.m. ( GMT), (9 p.m. Jordan local time). Muaasher said that two suicide bombers detonated themselves in the two Grand al-Hayat and Radisson Sass while one booby trapped car went off in Days Inn. The Jordanian official explained that the majority of the victims were in Radisson Sass hotel because the suicide bomber detonated himself during an ongoing wedding ceremony. Meantime, AFP quoted Jordanian security sources as saying that the suicide bomber who detonated himself had an "Iraqi dialect," according to the testimony of one of the hotel's employees. The sources stressed that the suicide bomber appear clearly in the video tape pictures of the cameras in al-Hayat grand hotel and his identity has been verified. The Jordanian security authorities imposed a security belt in the surrounding of the hotels which were exposed to three explosions, and rescue teams evacuated the victims from Radisson hotel which is often visited by Asian and European diplomats. News report in Amman said that the explosion in Radisson Sass took place during a wedding part, noting that this hotel witnessed similar attacks attempt in 2000. The news reports also said that the Jordanian security forces intensified security measures and imposed a security belt around hotels and headquarters of the diplomatic missions in Jordan. In a preventive measure, the Jordanian government decided to close the ministries, public establishments and circles and schools. The news said that the Jordanian authorities arrested several persons inside Radisson Sass hotel in Amman including employees and clients. The attacks came at a time when the general attorney issued a decision against 6 persons in an organization called "Saraya Khattab" ( Khattab group) under the charge of conspiring with the intention to carry out terrorist acts targeting American targets in Jordan. Security sources said that the arrested men tried to buy a poisonous material. In Paris Interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy has ordered the expulsion of all foreigners convicted of taking part in the riots that have swept France for 13 nights. He told parliament 120 foreigners had been found guilty of involvement and would be deported without delay. Police said overnight violence had fallen significantly - although trouble still flared in more than 100 towns. The government has declared a state of emergency in Paris and more than 30 other areas to help quell the unrest. The northern city of Amiens was the first to impose an overnight curfew under the new powers, which came into force at midnight. The western towns of Rouen, Le Havre and Evreux and the French Riviera region have also said they will implement the measures. However the Seine-Saint-Denis region north-east of Paris, where the trouble started almost two weeks ago, said it would not impose a curfew after violence diminished for a third night running. Mr Sarkozy told MPs that non-French nationals - "not all of whom are here illegally" - had been convicted of taking part in the attacks. "I have asked the prefects to deport them from our national territory without delay, including those who have a residency visa," he said. Senior interior ministry official Claude Gueant said police had seen "a very significant drop" in the intensity of the unrest. The number of cars set alight across France overnight last Tuesday to Wednesday fell to 617, hundreds fewer than the night before. Some 280 people were arrested and disturbances broke out in 116 areas, half the number affected the preceding night. However, the authorities in Lyon said public transport would not run after 1800 GMT last Wednesday following a petrol bomb attack on Tuesday. The areas covered by the emergency powers extend from the English Channel to the Mediterranean, including Paris suburbs and major cities such as Lille, Marseille and Toulouse. The powers, which can be extended by parliament after 12 days, allow a state of emergency to be declared in defined areas, restricting the movement of people and vehicles. Police are entitled to carry out house searches and ban public meetings. Minors are subject to the law between 2200 and 0600 (2100 and 0500 GMT) unless accompanied by an adult, and are also banned from buying petrol. Nearly three out of four French people support the powers, according to a poll published in the daily Le Parisien newspaper. But some opposition parties, and the French magistrates association, have described them as a danger to civil liberties. The nightly protests have gripped deprived areas where unemployment is rife and residents complain of racism and discrimination. The unrest was first sparked by the deaths in the run-down Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois of two youths, who were accidentally electrocuted at an electricity sub-station. The emergency powers handed to local authorities have been invoked under a 1955 law. This is the first time they have been implemented in mainland France.