The “Al Qaeda in Iraq” website which allegedly claimed responsibility for the Amman bombings, stated that the attacks were directed against Israelis, members of Western intelligence agencies and their Shiite accomplices:

“[the hotels are]  a backyard for the enemies of religion, the Jews and Crusaders, and a dirty hideout for the nation’s apostate traitors, as well as a safe haven for the intelligence services of the infidels, where they plot their conspiracies against Muslims.”

According to The New York Times (10 Nov)

“The group’s statement said the hotels had been attacked because they were favored locations for Western and Israeli intelligence agencies and were used as ”backdoor safe houses” for the Shiite -dominated Iraqi government.” 

The attacks were said to be in response to “the conspiracy against the Sunnis whose blood and honour were shed by Crusaders and the Shiites.” (quoted in The Statesman, India, 12 November 2005)

A subsequent mysterious audio tape allegedly by Al Qaeda in Iraq stated that:

“Our martyred brother’s target was halls being used at the time by intelligence officers from some of the infidel crusader nations and their lackeys ….  Our brothers knew their targets with great precision. God knows we chose these hotels only after more than two months of close observation (that proved) that these hotels had become headquarters for the Israeli and American intelligence.

“People of Jordan, we did not undertake to blow up any wedding parties… For those Muslims who were killed, we ask God to show them mercy, for they were not targets. We did not and will not think for one moment to target them.” (quoted in the Record, Kitchener, 19 November 2005)

Upon reviewing the list of the 57 victims quoted by the Western media, however, we can confirm that:  

1) There was not a single Israeli casualty. According to Haaretz and The Los Angeles Times,  the Israelis had been evacuated prior to the blast. (see our earlier report on foreknowledge of the attacks)  [One US media pointed to one Israeli casualty, Chicago Tribune 11 Nov 2005) 

2) With regard to the “Western and Israeli intelligence agencies”, there were no reported Israeli or US intelligence officials among the victims. In fact quite the opposite: two senior Palestinian intelligence officials were killed in the blast including Maj.-Gen. Bashir Nafeh, head of the Palestinian Authority’s military intelligence and Col. Abed Allun, a high-ranking Preventive Security forces official. Both men were firm opponents of the US led war in Iraq. 

3) Zarqawi is a Sunni. Al Qaeda in Iraq is described by the Western media as waging terrorist attacks against Shiites, with a view to creating divisions between Sunnis and Shiites. In the words of  the NYT (11 November 2005)

If there has been evidence of disagreement between Mr. Zarqawi and the Qaeda leadership, it has been over the question of whether it is appropriate for the Sunni Arab-led movement to carry out attacks on Iraqi Shiites.

In his 2004 letter, Mr. Zarqawi recommended the tactic as a device to incite Sunni- Shiite tensions that might help to broaden the militants’ appeal among Sunnis. A letter that American forces in Iraq attributed to Mr. bin Laden’s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, warned that such a tactic might undermine broader Islamic support for the jihadist movement.

But the attacks did not target Shiites, who are allegedly considered by Al Zarqawi as “heretics”. The vast majority of the 57 victims of the blasts were Sunni Muslims.

In this regard, the authenticity of both the internet posting and the subsequent audio, not to mention the “husband and wife team”, have been accepted by the Western media at face value, without further investigation of the evidence. 

The attacks were also presented as the result of “anti-Israeli sentiment” pertaining to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. Yet two top intelligence officials of  the Palestinian authority were targeted in the bombings at the Hyatt hotel. 

[15 Nov 2005. minor revisions 20 Nov 2005 following the release of the mysterious audiotape.]

Michel Chossudovsky is Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). He is the author of America’s “War on Terrorism”, Globla Research, 2005.