Khaberni - Jordanians recall, on Sunday, with pain mixed with resilience, the twentieth anniversary of one of the harshest nights in their modern history, as the date goes back to November 9, 2005, bringing back images of the "Amman bombings," that day now known as the "Black Wednesday"
when terrorism deceitfully struck three major hotels in the heart of the capital.
Two decades have passed since those terrorist suicide attacks that shook the "Radisson SAS", "Grand Hyatt", and "Days Inn" hotels, leaving behind a deep wound in the national psyche, resulting in the ascension of 56 martyrs and injuring more than 115
people, most of whom were Jordanians celebrating a wedding in one of the halls.
Years later, the national scene stands on the same oath, adhering to renouncing violence and extremism, committed to the firm principles established by the kingdom in its intellectual and security confrontation of this threat.
Memories of pain... and stories of resilience
From the scene, where the "Radisson" hotel stands today surrounded by strict security measures, one of the survivors, who was a receptionist at the time, recounts how the celebration hall turned into a pool of blood in seconds.
He says in a soft voice, pointing to the memorial plaque erected for the bombing victims in the hotel lobby: "I heard the screams of women and children, then a terrifying silence ensued."
Those attacks, claimed by Al-Qaeda at the time under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, were not just a transient operation; they were a deliberate attempt to destabilize Jordan, a country long regarded as a safe haven in a volatile region.
The comprehensive confrontation: From "Black Wednesday" to "Amman's Message"
The Jordanian reaction was not merely emotional or temporary. In the days following the disaster, Jordanians marched in spontaneous, massive demonstrations in the streets of Amman, Zarqa, and Irbid, carrying banners that condemned terrorism and affirmed national unity.
