The damage was phenomenal. There are no windows or doors on most of Al Hama's villas and apartments. Glass was the biggest injury problem, on the street the bomb blast occurred, there were no survivors. While there is no exact total, I saw ten bodies, and that was only on the periphery, they haven't really begun to dig into the rubble.
Imad, Sue and the girls had gone to the Starbucks on exit ten for Frapucino, they returned to Al Hamra, and as they cleared the security gates a car sped up behind them and began shooting at the guards. The security station has pockmarks from bullets all over it. Clearing the gates, the terrorists began shooting at Imad's car. Sue said later, pointing at her head covering, "If they shoot at me and my girls, they would shoot at anyone." This car held four terrorists, their job was coverage for the bomb car which followed.
The shooters' car went to the left of the recreation center (the turtle) and sped down the street. There was a pool party just breaking up on the corner with about twenty people in attendance. Two Saudi's one of them a son of the compound owner ran after the car and were shot dead. The car turned left heading for the British School and the bomb car followed. Within about ten yards of clearing the corner, the bomb exploded. All of the terrorists were killed in the blast. Four shooters and two bombers.
I had just gone to sleep. My bedroom was on the second floor facing the exterior compound wall. I didn't wake to the gun shots, but the blast was the loudest noise I have ever heard. It rocked the villa and I found myself on the floor. The big casement windows on both floors front and back were blown out with glass shards everywhere. The casements themselves had been sunk into the concrete, but they were all blown off. My kitchen door, about 150 lbs. was blown off and traveled twenty feet into the kitchen. Along the way, it went through the steel staricase railing.
I got into sneakers and a robe and stepped through the glass. Going downstairs I had to twist the railing back out of the way to get down. There are big stress fractures in the walls. I went next door to check on Crossley and barely noticed that the ground seemed uneven with big rocks everywhere. John was in his front doorframe a towel on his head. His T shirt was soaked in blood down to his shorts. He was barefooted and obviously in shock. I got him into my golf shoes (the only thing I could find) and checked his wounds. Face and scalp lacerations from the glass. John had heard the gunshots and gone to the window to look out just when the blast went off.
By this time people were beginning to accumulate in the street. We could hear small arms fire in the background, some of it automatic. We milled around for about 10 minutes. I wanted a gun. One man was trying to find someone, but his hearing was gone from the concussion.
The British School is adjacent to the compound. Ironically, thiry-two British School teachers were moved into Al Hamra two weeks ago because of its superior security. The preliminary assessment for the school says the structural damage is too great for it to reopen.
A full fifteen minutes after the blast I saw the first emergency vehicle on the compound, it was a red crescent ambulance. By thirty minutes later, the compound was filled with police, bomb dogs, bomb squad, military personnel and ambulances. Imad came by in his car and said the Lucent people were gathering at his house. The upper stories were as bad as everyone else's, but he has a big basement. George Kechab (a Lucent neighbor) and I got Crossley to an ambulance headed for the German-Saudi Hospital and we left for Imad's. The road was littered with shell casings.
We were busy until about 2 AM making lists and checking lists, and calling people to check their condition. Only four Lucent people were hospitalized. Crossley was discharged after a night in the hospital. The other three will recover completely. An ex-Lucent employee, Oday El-Sadek, was killed, he is survived by his pregnant wife and daughter.
Imad, Sue and the girls had gone to the Starbucks on exit ten for Frapucino, they returned to Al Hamra, and as they cleared the security gates a car sped up behind them and began shooting at the guards. The security station has pockmarks from bullets all over it. Clearing the gates, the terrorists began shooting at Imad's car. Sue said later, pointing at her head covering, "If they shoot at me and my girls, they would shoot at anyone." This car held four terrorists, their job was coverage for the bomb car which followed.
The shooters' car went to the left of the recreation center (the turtle) and sped down the street. There was a pool party just breaking up on the corner with about twenty people in attendance. Two Saudi's one of them a son of the compound owner ran after the car and were shot dead. The car turned left heading for the British School and the bomb car followed. Within about ten yards of clearing the corner, the bomb exploded. All of the terrorists were killed in the blast. Four shooters and two bombers.
I had just gone to sleep. My bedroom was on the second floor facing the exterior compound wall. I didn't wake to the gun shots, but the blast was the loudest noise I have ever heard. It rocked the villa and I found myself on the floor. The big casement windows on both floors front and back were blown out with glass shards everywhere. The casements themselves had been sunk into the concrete, but they were all blown off. My kitchen door, about 150 lbs. was blown off and traveled twenty feet into the kitchen. Along the way, it went through the steel staricase railing.
I got into sneakers and a robe and stepped through the glass. Going downstairs I had to twist the railing back out of the way to get down. There are big stress fractures in the walls. I went next door to check on Crossley and barely noticed that the ground seemed uneven with big rocks everywhere. John was in his front doorframe a towel on his head. His T shirt was soaked in blood down to his shorts. He was barefooted and obviously in shock. I got him into my golf shoes (the only thing I could find) and checked his wounds. Face and scalp lacerations from the glass. John had heard the gunshots and gone to the window to look out just when the blast went off.
By this time people were beginning to accumulate in the street. We could hear small arms fire in the background, some of it automatic. We milled around for about 10 minutes. I wanted a gun. One man was trying to find someone, but his hearing was gone from the concussion.
The British School is adjacent to the compound. Ironically, thiry-two British School teachers were moved into Al Hamra two weeks ago because of its superior security. The preliminary assessment for the school says the structural damage is too great for it to reopen.
A full fifteen minutes after the blast I saw the first emergency vehicle on the compound, it was a red crescent ambulance. By thirty minutes later, the compound was filled with police, bomb dogs, bomb squad, military personnel and ambulances. Imad came by in his car and said the Lucent people were gathering at his house. The upper stories were as bad as everyone else's, but he has a big basement. George Kechab (a Lucent neighbor) and I got Crossley to an ambulance headed for the German-Saudi Hospital and we left for Imad's. The road was littered with shell casings.
We were busy until about 2 AM making lists and checking lists, and calling people to check their condition. Only four Lucent people were hospitalized. Crossley was discharged after a night in the hospital. The other three will recover completely. An ex-Lucent employee, Oday El-Sadek, was killed, he is survived by his pregnant wife and daughter.
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