'September 11' in Jordan
10 November 2005, CHA
The explosions that occurred in the Jordanian capital of Amman last night have left 57 people dead and more than 300 wounded.
This is the first time that Jordan, a key ally of the United States, has been exposed to large scale terrorist attack. Some missile bombs were fired at a ship anchored in the harbor of Akabe, along the Red Sea, killing one marine. “Jordan avoids being entangled in the spiral of violence that threatens the whole zone. The country [Jordan] has managed to build progressive official relations not only with Israel but also with the Iraqi authority as well as with the Iraqi Sunnites. Recently, Jordan is doing quite well in the business sector providing high-quality service for tourists. The terrorist attacks on Jordan might possibly have been aimed at creating a frightening atmosphere for tourists,” Turkish ambassador to Jordan Huseyin Dirioz told Zaman.
On Wednesday night, the country became yet another nation experiencing the tragedy of "September 11" after Spain, Turkey, Britain, and Egypt. The international hotels Grand Hyatt, Radisson, and Days Inn experienced three simultaneous bomb explosions.
 The famous film director, Mustafa Akkad, wounded in the hotel attacks in Amman, lost his life.
 Akkad, 68, best-known for producing the 'Halloween' series of horror movies, also known for his 1977 Oscar-nominated epic ‘The Message: The Story of Islam’, starring Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas.
Akkad produced all eight ‘Halloween’ movies. He also directed and produced two religious-themed films, ‘The Message’ and ‘Lion of the Desert’, both starring Anthony Quinn.
He earned a degree in theatre arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, then went to work as a production assistant for renowned director Sam Peckinpah on the Western ‘Ride the High Country’ in 1962.
Akkad's most serious efforts could be seen in his two dramas about the history of Islam. ‘The Message’, a 1976 film about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)..
Akkad was baffled by the reaction to the film, which he said cost $17 million to make and was nominated for an Academy Award for best original score. "I made the film to bring the story of Islam, the story of 700 million people, to the West," Akkad told The Associated Press in 1977.
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