Thousands of Iraqi Shiites Protest at Jordanian Embassy
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James Joyner | Tuesday, March 15, 2005 |
Thousands of Iraqi Shiites, previously unmoved by the brutalities of Jordanian terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, stormed the Jordanian embassy yesterday outraged the a suicide bomber’s family celebrated him as a martyr.
Bombing stirs Shiites to lash out at Jordan (Seattle Times)
The Jordanian Embassy was broken into and its flag torn down yesterday as thousands of Shiites protested after hearing reports that relatives of an alleged Jordanian suicide bomber who killed 125 people celebrated him as a martyr. Hundreds protested in Baghdad, and thousands took to the streets of Najaf, spiritual home of the Shiites.
Anti-Jordanian sentiment has spread since Iraqis read newspaper reports that Raid al-Banna blew himself up beside people lining up for jobs in the Shiite town of Hillah on Feb. 28 in the single bloodiest attack in postwar Iraq. Al-Qaida in Iraq, a group led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility for the blast. The protests were the biggest outpouring of Shiite fury over Sunni insurgent attacks that have killed thousands.
In Jordan, Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez said his nation stands by the Iraqi people in their struggle against terrorism targeting innocent civilians.
Perhaps this was the proverbial single straw that broke the camel’s back. Otherwise, this seems an odd time to finally get angry at the Jordanian terrorists.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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