News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMinewar-on-terroralqaeda — Viewing Item


Jordanians doubt zarqawi is even alive { November 12 2005 }

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-zarqa12nov12,0,2472312.story?track=tottext

One vendor said he doubted Zarqawi was even alive.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-zarqa12nov12,0,2472312.story?track=tottext

THE WORLD
Jordanian City Saddled With Unwanted Fame
Some residents of Zarqa aren't convinced that one of their own is the mastermind behind the three deadly hotel bombings in Amman.
By Ken Ellingwood
Times Staff Writer

November 12, 2005

ZARQA, Jordan — Rami Abu Ahmed is no admirer of his notorious former neighbor, whom he considers a garden-variety thug. But Ahmed is not convinced that Abu Musab Zarqawi and his Islamic militant group in Iraq were responsible for this week's hotel bombings in the nation's capital.

"Jordan is targeted by many other groups, so you can't tell if Zarqawi was behind it," the 20-year-old Ahmed said Friday, sitting in his living room down the dusty street from the two-story home still occupied by Zarqawi's relatives.

The hotel bombings, whose official death toll stood at 57 Friday, and a claim of responsibility by Zarqawi's group, have forced residents of this shopworn industrial city to confront the disturbing possibility that one of their own had killed dozens of people — most of them Jordanians — in the name of Islam.

The attacks also have brought uncomfortable new scrutiny to the working-class streets where Zarqawi developed a reputation as a tough before turning to hard-line Islam more than a decade ago. Zarqawi, who served three years in a Jordanian prison and whose nom de guerre means "of Zarqa," has been tied to a campaign of suicide bombings and other attacks in Iraq against U.S. and Iraqi forces and foreign contract workers.

Many people in Zarqawi's old neighborhood, a collection of drab concrete-block buildings set against a wall of limestone, won't discuss him for fear of drawing the attention of Jordanian security officials or watchful neighbors.

A pair of journalists were stopped and briefly questioned by plainclothes agents Friday who had received a report that interviews were being conducted in the neighborhood.

"What we are hearing [about who carried out the bombings] is only from the media, and we don't know if it's true," said Munther, a 31-year-old neighbor who declined to give his last name. "I don't believe it. He is from this country…. Zarqawi is a Jordanian and all his family are Jordanians. He would never harm his country."

But Jordanian officials appear all but certain that the bombing operation was the work of Zarqawi, whose group, Al Qaeda in Iraq, has claimed responsibility for the attacks as well as for a failed rocket attack in August in the port of Aqaba.

A day after first claiming responsibility for Wednesday's bombings on a website, the group posted another announcement Friday, saying a married couple and two others had carried out the suicide attacks at the Radisson SAS, the Grand Hyatt and the Days Inn. The Amman hotels were popular with foreign visitors, including journalists, U.S. officials and contractors on their way to Iraq. Most of the victims, however, were Jordanians.

It was impossible to verify the authenticity of either posting.

In Zarqa, as most everywhere in the country, residents voiced shock and outrage at the attacks, the deadliest of which struck a Jordanian wedding banquet in the Radisson.

The residents said about half a dozen of those killed in the nearly simultaneous bombings were from Zarqa, a city of about 1.2 million half an hour's drive east of Amman.

In the commercial district down the road from Zarqawi's family home, several residents also expressed skepticism about the claims of responsibility.

One vendor said he doubted Zarqawi was even alive.

But residents in Zarqa uniformly condemned the attacks—and Zarqawi, too, if he was responsible for ordering them.

"Whoever is behind it, he is wrong. It is a crime," said Issam Qudommi, a 53-year-old finance manager whose cousin was killed in the Hyatt blast. "It's illogical what he is doing — bad for Islam and all Arabs."

Arwa Yousef, 33, a homemaker wearing a head covering favored by observant Muslim women, said she was especially worried that attacks in the name of Islam were harming the image of Muslims worldwide.

She said it had become easy to lure young, uneducated men into a fanatical brand of religion that used Islamic teachings to breed hatred.

"I don't know why people are harming our prophet and Islam this way," she said.

Yousef was on her way to her niece's wedding but said her heart wasn't really in it. She had skipped the hairdresser and was going in slacks. Yousef said the bombing tragedy had sapped her family's enthusiasm for celebration. There would be no wedding banquet.


american-alqaeda-video
bl-sons
chinese-boston-threat
cia-bomb-maker
dutch-alqaeda
egypt-nov-2004
khan
kidnappings
prince-charles
trumped-up-terror-charges
15 pakistani troops die in alqaida hunt { March 23 2004 }
16 alqaeda spain { January 24 2003 }
Administration feed terror suspect
Al qaeda detainee spoke of fire plot
Algiers suicide bombers were jailed { December 14 2007 }
Alqaeda 18000 potential at large { May 25 2004 }
Alqaeda algerians in uk { September 14 2003 }
Alqaeda arrest tips effective { March 3 2003 }
Alqaeda arrests { February 4 2003 }
Alqaeda enemy in america
Alqaeda fighters denies being killed on web { September 15 2005 }
Alqaeda fires rockets from jordan hits israel
Alqaeda group may not exist
Alqaeda hobbled by arrest { March 3 2003 }
Alqaeda just bush boogeyman { January 11 2005 }
Alqaeda leader in iraq killed again
Alqaeda myth blown out of proportion { May 23 2002 }
Alqaeda number 2 cites failed pakistan airstrike { January 30 2006 }
Alqaeda opeartive has australian accent { August 10 2005 }
Alqaeda plans oil fields { March 11 2003 }
Alqaeda plot foiled in germany { December 3 2004 }
Alqaeda searches russia
Alqaeda seeks to expand operations { April 20 2007 }
Alqaeda singapore plot
Alqaeda suspect knows saudi prince phone number
Alqaeda tape urges western attacks { May 21 2003 }
Alqaeda targets russell crowe
Alqaeda threat norway doesnt make sense { May 21 2003 }
Alqaeda threatens france for headscarf ban
Alqaeda to help wage sectarian iraq war { February 9 2004 }
Alqaeda video trainig shooting kids { March 9 2003 }
Alqaeda web posts threats { December 8 2002 }
Alqaida accused US of faking alqaeda letter { October 14 2005 }
Alqaida crippled says mossad
Alqaida funded by 12 { October 20 2002 }
Alqaida is 70 percent gone says state department { January 23 2004 }
Alqaida possessed tactical nuclear weapons
Alqaida strike again { October 17 2002 }
Alqeada starts forest fires says fbi
Alzarqawi reportly arrested in iraq
American soldier gave alqaeda information { February 12 2004 }
American voice on new terror video { October 29 2004 }
Assad doubts existance al qaeda
Authorities close muslim school in germany
Bin laden deputy claims US on brink of defeat
Binladen top deputy zawahri sends videotape
Bombing in algeria claimed by new alqaeda branch
Bombings may spur antiterror unity { May 19 2003 }
Briefing depicted saudis as enemies backing terrorism { August 6 2002 }
Britain charges 8 in alqaeda plot { August 18 2004 }
Britain says 1600 british born alqaeda terrorists { November 10 2006 }
Britain sheltering al qaeda leader { July 8 2002 }
British connection alqaida revolving door { February 14 2002 }
British thwart hijacking terror attacks
Bush policies directly funding alqaeda { January 2007 }
Captured alqaeda kingpin is mistaken identity { May 8 2005 }
Cia paid pakistan bounty for alqaida suspects { September 26 2006 }
Cia says iraq recruiting tool for islamic extremists { February 17 2005 }
Citizen convincted alqaeda assassination plot
Colombia busts hamas alqaeda false passport ring
Confusion persists over iraq alqaeda leaders identity { May 10 2008 }
Convincted drug dealer praised in terror plot role { June 4 2007 }
Counterterror analyst says alqaeda at pre911 strength { July 12 2007 }
Dirty bomb
Disinformation alqaeda
Europeans training terrorists in iraq
Experts doubt validity on jfk airport plot { June 5 2007 }
Fbi alert for sleeper cell
Fitandwell un { August 29 2002 }
Fort bragg sergeant aided bilnladen followers { May 20 1999 }
France ricin found
German police raid mosque for islamic extremist videos
Group kidnaps toy soldier in iraq { February 2 2005 }
Group recruits muslims { December 4 2005 }
Gunman attack consulate in saudi arabia { December 6 2004 }
Indonesian islamic groups controlled by intelligence { October 16 2005 }
Intel says alqaeda strong based pakistan border { July 17 2007 }
Iran accuses us not serious { May 28 2003 }
Iraq new terror breeding ground war created haven { January 14 2005 }
Iraq replaces afghanistan as top terror training spot { January 14 2005 }
Iraq terrorists radicalized by occupation of iraq { July 17 2005 }
Iraq war boosted alqaeda { May 20 2003 }
Jet misses hawaii skyrise
Jordanians doubt zarqawi is even alive { November 12 2005 }
Lax shooting
Lebanon alqaeda
Losing africa afghanistan { November 8 2002 }
Malaysia alqaida
Mastermind of madrid { July 29 2004 }
Memo details alqaeda saddam cooperation { November 24 2003 }
MI5 let alqaida in britain
Middle class muslims recuited in british universities { July 10 2005 }
Militants rigged koran with explosives { November 12 2003 }
Military manual advocates employing terrorists { June 15 2008 }
Musharraf says alqaeda not headquartered in pakistan { July 26 2005 }
Mystery shrouds alqaeda escape in yemen
New alqaeda tape reveals video process { January 31 2006 }
New alqaeda treath from southeast asia division { November 30 2005 }
New york bomb plot overblown { July 10 2006 }
New york terror case based on unscrupulous informant { January 9 2007 }
NY police creates terrorism to solve { January 9 2007 }
Officials see signs revived alqaeda { May 17 2003 }
Osama deputy letter says iraq to be islamic
Osama plot kill bush
Pakistan army closes in on alqaeda
Pakistan arrests nations most wanted alqaida militant { May 4 2005 }
Pakistan religious schools in spotlight { July 25 2005 }
Pakistan remains terror hub with US effort { July 25 2005 }
Pakistani army kills al qaeda suspects { October 3 2003 }
Pentagon unit mission to manipulate alqaeda { August 13 2005 }
Pope comments ignite alqaeda response of doom
Ptech terror link { December 7 2002 }
Ptech terror navy fbi
Qaeda sympathisers use rap to recruit { September 11 2001 }
Reid blames zionists { October 3 2002 }
Report says iraq war strenghening alqaeda { July 17 2007 }
Saudi alqaeda chief was saudi police { June 21 2004 }
Saudi amensty program nets alqaeda leaders { July 14 2004 }
Saudi sheik allows bin laden to nuke americans
Shooting at la airport terrorism { April 12 2003 }
Sleeper cells
Soldiers mutilated over iraqi woman rape incident
Spain arrests more alqaeda { September 18 2003 }
Suicide bomber comes from US secret detentions { July 25 2007 }
Suspect says mi5 can clear his name { October 22 2001 }
Suspected alqaeda agents seen everywhere { May 28 2004 }
Syrian leader doubts al qaidas existance { May 26 2003 }
Tape with terror threat is broadcast { October 29 2004 }
Terror suspect paints alqaeda picture in plea bargain
Terrorist factory running at guantanamo bay { June 17 2008 }
The rise of suicide bombing around the world { July 17 2005 }
Top alqaeda expert top candidate for mi5 boss { December 17 2006 }
Top alqaida lieutenants escaped before testifying { November 1 2005 }
Trinidad group denies link to NYC plot { May 2007 }
Truck driver pleads guilty alqaeda plot { June 20 2003 }
Tunisian soccer player convincted alqaida trial
Turkish alqaida group claims responsbiliity for istanbul attacks
Uk says alqaeda making dirty bomb { January 31 2003 }
US allows saudis to finance alqaeda { July 26 2007 }
Us and uk trade terrorism like commodity { September 25 2005 }
Us intelligence says alqaeda ineffecitve
US missile parts at alqaeda target site
US picks new iraq alqaeda leader from jail { July 6 2006 }
US says alqaeda near defeat { May 30 2008 }
US says mossad agent is american alqaeda leader
Us soldier charged in alqaeda sting
War spread terrorism { June 16 2002 }
White man with bomb at capitol gets little attention { April 30 2008 }
White supremacy leader supports alqaeda { March 29 2005 }
World wide hunt 4 alleged members
Yemeni cleric sentenced to terror conspiracy { July 29 2005 }
Zarqawi boogie man may not exist { July 5 2005 }
Zarqawi linked to alqaeda and nothern kurds and saddam { October 9 2004 }

Files Listed: 153



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple