May 2, 2006 11:19 pm US/Central
Hotel Manager Reflects On Jordan Bombings
Grand Hyatt General Manager Otto Steenbeek Aided Victims
by Jay Levine
AMMAN, Jordan (CBS) ―
It's not unusual for Mayor Daley to sing the praises of Chicago, but Wednesday night, he did it in the Middle East.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports the mayor made a big pitch in Amman, Jordan.
It wasn't what the mayor said, but where he said it. Daley spoke at the Chicago-owned hotel targeted by terrorists less than 6 months ago.
Mayor Daley's address to the American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan had special significance.
"I'd like all of us to remember the 60 people who lost their lives at this hotel and two others," Daley said.
It was Jordan's Sept. 11. Suicide bombers carried out nearly simultaneous attacks on three U.S.-based hotels in the Jordanian capital.
"Nothing can ever prepare you for it," said Otto Steenbeek, general manager of the Grand Hyatt.
Injured himself, Grand Hyatt General Manager Otto Steenbeek rushed to aid victims.
"My hearing was completely gone. I didn't hear anything, I only saw. My vision took over control of my entire brain it seemed," he said.
Mourning their loss and counseling survivors, Steenbeek then led a 24-hour-a-day push to complete temporary repairs. Ten days later, with the exception of new security measures, you couldn't see there was a bombing here. But you never forget it.
"I think life has changed. I think the way we conduct our business now in a higher risk environment, these are things that come with it," Steenbeek said.
Behind the new walls, you see old ones that are still pock-marked from the suicide bombers' shrapnel. You also see an army of workers involved in building a bigger and better hotel. The Hyatt, he says, is not alone.
"I think Jordanians have shown from what kind of wood they're made, and they've made a remarkable recovery process of it," Steenbeek said.
"These things happen, but they will not disrupt the way of life," Amman Mayor Omar Maani said.
The mayor of Amman spoke after the luncheon, which was attended by one Jordanian developer with 12 brothers and sisters in the Chicago area. He himself went to Daley College.
"Chicago means a lot to me," former Chicagoan Harran Akawi said. "At the same time, like you see Jay, this is something you can't dump."
But certainly not because of fear of terrorism, Harran Akawi says. He and literally thousands of others with close ties to Chicago from this single suburb believe the bombings have made Jordan's commitment to the war on terror even stronger.
"It's very important Jordan is an ally to the United States," said former Chicagoan Amin Sweis.
Mayor Daley will depart for Israel Wednesday night.
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