AMMAN, Jordan, June 12 (UPI) -- The families of the victims of the triple Amman hotel bombings lashed out at four Islamic legislators for offering condolences to Abu Musab Zarqawi's family.
The victims' relatives staged a sit-in outside parliament carrying banners that said "no to terrorism and no to the supporters of killers who should not have any condolences."
Zarqawi who was killed last week in a U.S. raid on his hideout in Baaqouba, east of Baghdad, claimed responsibility for last November's attacks on the Amman hotels in which 60 have been killed and 103 injured, mostly Jordanians attending a wedding party.
The Jordanian authorities arrested Sunday four Islamic legislators who visited Zarqa, Zarqawi's hometown, to present their condolences to his family.
One of the victim's relatives whose two brothers were killed in the hotel bombings told United Press International "the visit of the four legislators to Zarqawi's family encourages terrorism and provokes our sentiments... we have not forgotten the blood of our own martyrs yet."
Also Monday, the prosecution's witnesses told the state security court that extremely powerful explosives were used by the suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the three hotels.
They said the explosions caused extensive damage because the explosives were mixed with metal balls which were hurled in all directions, inflicting maximum destruction and casualties.
Eight people are being tried in the case, mainly would-be-bomber Sajida Richawi who failed to detonate herself at the Radisson SS hotel. The other seven are being tried in absentia, including Zarqawi, whose al-Qaida organization in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attacks.
