06-18-2004, 10:05 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Paul Johnson beheaded
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/...nap/index.html
this is so sad.
Quote:
U.S. hostage Johnson apparently beheaded
Web site posts photos believed to be body of man held in Saudi Arabia
Friday, June 18, 2004 Posted: 2:36 PM EDT (1836 GMT)
(CNN) -- Three chilling photographs on an Islamist Web site appear to show the beheaded body of American hostage Paul Johnson, who was kidnapped a week ago by Islamic militants connected with al Qaeda.
Abdel Aziz Al-Muqrin, the self-proclaimed military leader of al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, claimed responsibility for Johnson's kidnapping and the death of another American, Kenneth Scroggs, on the same day on behalf of a group called the Al Falluja Squadron.
On Tuesday, he threatened to kill Johnson in 72 hours unless the Saudi government released al Qaeda prisoners and all Westerners got out of the Arabian Peninsula.
A statement posted on the Web site, translated from the Arabic, said: "We slaughtered the American hostage Paul Johnson after the deadline we gave to the Saudi tyrants."
Johnson was an employee of Lockheed Martin, working on Apache helicopters in Saudi Arabia.
The statement that the group wanted Johnson to "taste a bit of what the Muslims have been suffering from Apache helicopter attacks." The statement said Johnson had been "working on maintaining and developing the electronic systems of these planes."
The statement also said the killing was "a lesson for them to learn for whoever comes to our country, this will be their punishment."
Lockheed Martin spokesman, Tom Jurkowsky, said the company is "dealing with the family."
"All we can say is we're very distressed, very disheartened," Jurkowsky said.
Earlier Friday, Al Arabiya as well as CNN had aired an emotional appeal from Johnson's wife.
U.S. and Saudi investigators concluded an intensive meeting Friday, Saudi officials said, as security forces spread all over the kingdom searching for Johnson.
Johnson, 49, had been kidnapped Saturday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. He helped maintain U.S.-built Apache helicopter gunships for the Saudi military.
The State Department has urged all Americans to leave Saudi Arabia, but Johnson's sister, Donna Mayeux, said in a CNN interview that her brother "always felt safe in Saudi Arabia."
"My brother is an honorable man," she said. "He has always treated people with dignity and respect."
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Last edited by SiN; 06-18-2004 at 10:39 AM..
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