"We were devastated and saddened" by the hotel bombings, "but people here are very courageous and handling the situation with openness and maturity," said Dr. Salwa Bitar Qteit, senior project management specialist for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Amman, Jordan. "You do not see extreme signs of fear on the streets."

The Nov. 9 terrorist bombings of three hotels in Amman, killed at least 59 people and injured hundreds when bombs detonated almost simultaneously around 9 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt, Radisson and Days Inn hotels. The terrorist group al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the blasts in a message posted Nov. 10 on the Internet.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II condemned the terrorist attacks calling them "criminal acts perpetrated by a misled and misleading group," according to a statement released by the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB).

He said these attacks "would not dissuade Jordan from pursuing its role in fighting terrorism and the criminal terrorist groups and those who are behind them and justify their acts."

Just two days earlier, JTB detailed a $100,000 advertising and promotional campaign to attract tourists to what they call the "Cradle of Christianity." The goal was to target North American religious communities receptive to visiting Jordan’s holy sites.

A group of Christian journalists touring Jordan with the JTB had left Amman the morning of the bombings and headed for Petra. The following day they issued a statement condemning the attacks.

"We grieve with and pray for our Jordanian sisters and brothers," it read in part. "We pray that people of faith around the world will refuse to allow fear to separate us from the people of Jordan and the Middle East, but will instead reach out and connect ever more deeply as we move forward in hope."

The statement acknowledged that the terrorists involved "seek to instill fear, not only in their direct victims but also in anyone who would consider a visit to this breathtakingly beautiful land, which has been at the very heart of so many of our religious traditions."

A recent hospital accreditation process, funded by USAID, helped save lives at the two hospitals where victims of the bombings were treated. According to Dwayne Banks, chief of Party of the USAID-funded Partners for Health Reform Plus Project in Jordan, the directors of the Jordan Hospital and Al Bashir Hospital said the recent accreditation process helped in their response to the tragedy.

The process involved updating emergency policies and procedures, an emergency response list and triage procedures. The Jordan Hospital is a private hospital near the Radisson SAS and Hyatt hotels, and Al Bashir hospital is the largest public hospital and a regional trauma center, according to Banks.

A candlelight vigil was held in front of the Jordanian embassy in Washington last Friday and a condolence book was available for people to sign.