We'll kill US hostage in 72 hours, kidnappers threaten
Kidnappers in Saudi Arabia paraded a captured American man on a website and threatened to murder him within 72 hours unless al-Qaida prisoners were released.
The man, identifying himself as Paul Johnson, was shown blindfolded, saying he worked on an Apache helicopter programme for a US defence firm in the kingdom.
“I’m an American out of the United States. I work on a Apache helicopter,” said the 49-year-old in a faltering voice.
He spoke for 25 seconds on the four-and-a-half minute video recording, which was aired by CNN.
He was shown with a torn shirt, exposing a tattoo on his left shoulder, and appeared to be wearing a bandage on his neck and head.
A masked man armed with an automatic weapon identified himself as Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin, the self-proclaimed military leader of al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia.
“If the tyrants of the Saudi government want their master – Paul Marshall Johnson – to be released, they must release the mujahideen held in the prisons in Haer, Ar-Ruwais and Allecha within 72 hours,” the gunman said.
“Otherwise, we will execute him to avenge our Muslim brothers whose blood has been spilled freely.”
He said the blood of Westerners would “fill up the Arabian Peninsula this year”.
The statement was dated June 15.
There was no independent confirmation of the authenticity of the video, which showed fighters from a group calling itself the Fallujah Squadron – a group which claims to have ties to al-Qaida.
However the website has been used by militants in the past and US intelligence officials were taking the recording seriously.
The kidnappers demanded that Saudi Arabia free al-Qaida prisoners it was holding and that all Westerners leave the Arabian peninsula.
The kidnapper who spoke also said a colleague of Mr Johnson was killed when Mr Johnson was kidnapped in Riyadh on Saturday.
Another American, Kenneth Scroggs, was found killed in the Saudi capital on Saturday after Mr Johnson went missing.
Both worked for the US defence company Lockheed Martin.
Saudi officials indicated that while efforts would be made to free Mr Johnson, the government would not negotiate with terrorists.
The US State Department said officials were in contact with Mr Johnson’s family.
A spokesman said it was US policy “to use every appropriate resource to gain the safe return of American citizens”.
But he added that the US government would “make no concession to individuals or groups holding our citizens”.
Mr Johnson’s family appealed for his release after a weekend statement purported to be from al Qaida said he was being detained and would be treated as Iraqi detainees were treated at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.
Mr Johnson’s son, also called Paul, flew to the family home from Florida on Monday after news of the kidnapping emerged.
He asked people to “continue to pray for my father“.
“My dad said many times he liked living in Saudi Arabia. He respects their customs,” he said.
He said his father came from a “hard and strong working family“.
Lockheed Martin said on its website that Mr Johnson was based in Orlando, Florida, and worked as a field engineer in Riyadh supporting the Apache helicopter programme.
Chief executive Vance Coffman, and chief operating officer Bob Stevens, said in a statement: “We are all deeply concerned and are working closely with the officials of the US and Saudi governments – as well as Paul’s family – to monitor the situation and assist in whatever way possible.”
Mr Johnson’s son said his father was aware of the dangers of living in Saudi Arabia.
“You can’t see something like this coming. We all get in routines. He’s been over there a long time. We all get caught off-guard. If you’re American over there, you stand out,” he said.
He added: “I think we ought to pull everyone out of Saudi Arabia – all the civilians. They all ought to come home since it’s not worth the money.”
Mr Johnson’s mother, Delores, and brother, Wayne, live in New Jersey.
