Counterterrorism Blog

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have miscalculated in his recent bid to attack Western hotels in Amman, Jordan.  The suicide bombings--which killed many innocent Arab bystanders, including guests at a wedding party--have generated an ugly reaction among many ordinary Jordanians.  This afternoon, a crowd of an estimated 100,000 people loudly demonstrated in downtown Amman against Zarqawi:

"...Thousands of flag-waving Jordanians thronged downtown Amman in the 'March of the Nation,' a noisy, emphatic demonstration against the hotel attacks.  'Al-Zarqawi, you coward, what brought you here?' the angry crowd shouted.  'Cease, cease, al-Zarqawi, you are a villain!' the throng chanted.  'Cease, Cease, you terrorist, you are a coward!'  ...'I came specifically to say to those terrorists and al-Zarqawi that we are all united against them.  We do not want them on our land,' said Ghazi al-Hajjaj, 43, who traveled from Tafila, 115 miles south of Amman, to attend the rally.  Palestinians from Jordan's 13 refugee camps also took part in the protest... Some men brought their families with them. Aya Abu-Ghosh, 9, came with her father and siblings. 'I came here to say to terror: Get out of our home.  We don't want you.  You scare us.'  Many demonstrators lifted photos of King Abdullah II and carried banners denouncing the attacks in general and al-Zarqawi in particular.  'Al-Zarqawi, you are the enemy of God,' one read.  The two-hour march concluded with a rally at a downtown square, where many dignitaries and Muslim and Christian clergymen addressed the crowd... One speaker, who did not give his name but told the audience that he was a member of Bani Hassan, al-Zarqawi's tribe, recited a poem condemning terrorism.  'You terrorist, you are a traitor and whoever follows your ideology is also a traitor, too.  Go to hell, you son of Satan,' he read."