RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - The al-Qaida group that kidnapped American Paul M. Johnson Jr. posted a statement on a Web site Friday saying it killed him, and displayed still photographs on the Internet of his beheaded body.The al Qaeda kidnappers had said the Saudi government had until Friday to free jailed militants or it would kill Johnson, a Lockheed Martin employee.Separately, al-Arabiya television reported Friday that Johnson had been beheaded.
Reached by telephone, an official from Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya in Dubai told The Associated Press that the news of Johnson's death had been reported by the network's correspondent in the Saudi capital.
CNN reported that Al-Arabiya had a video of the killing, but the network official said there was no video.
"As we promised the mujahideen we have beheaded the American hostage Paul Marshall after the deadline that the mujahideen gave to the tyrannical Saudi government passed," a statement signed by the Organization of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula said on the al Islah Web site.
The Web site showed pictures of what appeared to be Johnson's severed head resting on his body.
As noted here earlier in the week Johnson's fate was sealed from the beginning and he may have even been dead for days. The demands of the kidnappers were a ruse.
Drudge is running the pictures now. If you must see them click here to see the picture page.
Update: The man at the top of the suspect list, Abdulaziz al-Moqrin was killed by the Saudi's Friday.
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - The purported leader of al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia was killed in a raid in the capital Friday, Saudi security officials said. Abdulaziz al-Moqrin, 31, was killed by security forces who had surrounded militants in a downtown neighborhood shortly after the discovery of the body of an American killed earlier in the evening, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.Our family's prayers are with Mr. Johnson's family.Al-Arabiya satellite station said two other militants, on Saudi Arabia's list of most wanted men, were also killed in the raid, and another was injured and arrested.
Al-Moqrin, who trained with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, is at the top of the list of suspects in Saudi Arabia and is believed to be the leader of the group calling itself al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which claimed responsibility for Friday's beheading of American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr.
Al-Moqrin's group has claimed responsibility for most attacks against Westerners in Saudi Arabia in the past two months.
Comments (71)
As I mentioned in a previou... (Below threshold)1. Posted by BoDiddly | June 18, 2004 2:11 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
As I mentioned in a previous post--I wouldn't be surprised if this actually happened several days ago. From what I gathered, the new demand is that the U.S. release all Al-Qaida prisoners. I say we behead them all and put the pics and video on a website somewhere. No prisoners=no negotiation.
I'd also still like to see American hackers pummelling these websites into nonexistence that distribute this type of material. Without an open channel of communication, the power of such images would be greatly diminished.
My heart goes out to Johnson's family. I can't begin to imagine the pain they are experiencing, and I truly hope that his death will be avenged upon those who perpetrated it, and upon those who side with them.
1. Posted by BoDiddly | June 18, 2004 2:11 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 14:11
2. Posted by Mark | June 18, 2004 2:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
What will it take before we reach the point where we STOP believing that the Saudis are our allies?
I think it's time to add Saudi Arabia to the Axis of Evil membership roster.
2. Posted by Mark | June 18, 2004 2:17 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 14:17
3. Posted by bob | June 18, 2004 2:27 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'm sickened by this... Seems like the vortex is gathering strength -- and we stand by - not knowing what to do -- or who to trust. Thinking that it will just go away -- and it's not going to... Very ugly..
3. Posted by bob | June 18, 2004 2:27 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 14:27
4. Posted by Rusty Shackleford | June 18, 2004 2:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
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OUTRAGE.
4. Posted by Rusty Shackleford | June 18, 2004 2:35 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 14:35
5. Posted by maa | June 18, 2004 2:45 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Time to raise the temperature in the entire middle east to 3000 degrees and fry all you ignorant islamic extremest assholes. Death to Islam
5. Posted by maa | June 18, 2004 2:45 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 14:45
6. Posted by Robert | June 18, 2004 3:04 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
here are the photos: http://www.ogrish.com/...I am very saddened by this, after watching interviews and pleas from his family yesterday I knew it could only end this way, and I am sure video is coming, those monsters wouldn't have it any other way.
While I supported the Bush Administration on some issues before 9/11, I find it sad that they have gone into Iraq and literally took away so mmuch manpower from finding additional Al-Queda members in the countries they are actually hiding.. Richard Clark explains so well in his book about this, under the Bush administration, we simply did the wrong thing with Iraq.
Imagine all those soldiers searching Saudi Arabia or Afghan. for Al Queda and Osama, we would be much further ahead. Instead our entire military goes into another country.
Another big mistake was not sending thousands of soldiers to watch more of the borders leading outside Afghanastan when we attacked. They all had exit plans and we just let them leave. Granted the borders there are very hard to secure, but why didn't we even try to surround them and catch many of these men? Now they have dispursed even further worldwide.
My deepest sympathies to the family of Paul Johnson.
6. Posted by Robert | June 18, 2004 3:04 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 15:04
7. Posted by michele | June 18, 2004 3:49 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Why do you insist on having these photos available on your site? I don't get it, I don't understand the need for it.
7. Posted by michele | June 18, 2004 3:49 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 15:49
8. Posted by Kevin | June 18, 2004 4:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Actually they weren't supposed to be there. Saved just in case the disappeared while I drive home, but the curious will have to go to Drudge.
8. Posted by Kevin | June 18, 2004 4:02 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 16:02
9. Posted by Eric Scheie | June 18, 2004 4:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I think it is important to make these pictures available to Americans, for the reasons I gave when I made the Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg videos available. There are people who do not think Americans should see them, and that's enough reason to make sure they can be seen. I doubt they'll be shown on the evening news, as there is a persistent resistance to reporting anything which shows our enemies to be evil.
Had Matt Drudge not posted them, I doubt I would have found them. Probably because of web traffic, Drudge is not loading properly, right now. He may take them down, and I think they should be available to every American who wants to see them. (Especially to those who are unfamiliar with or unwilling to confront the reality of evil.)
9. Posted by Eric Scheie | June 18, 2004 4:03 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 16:03
10. Posted by tim | June 18, 2004 4:22 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Where are the "civilized" Muslims of the world while these savages murder in the name of their god? There simply does not appear to be a truly "civilized" Muslim; or there simply is not one with sufficient faith to denounce the barbaric acts that bind them with their brethren. Undoubtedly, it is the idiocy of our own self destructive liberal populace (aclu & ucla types) that will one day characterize these truisms as hate speech.
10. Posted by tim | June 18, 2004 4:22 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 16:22
11. Posted by Robert | June 18, 2004 4:23 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Michele...Those photos are not on my web site, I don't have a web site. Someone asked where they can be viewed and I simply told them becausae I knew of a link..I would never post photos like that. . I would never post anything like that if I had a website. Rob
11. Posted by Robert | June 18, 2004 4:23 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 16:23
12. Posted by robert | June 18, 2004 4:27 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Tim, they are there. My roommate is Muslim, moved here from Egypt 7 years ago with his parents... and he cried today for Paul Johnson. It simply is a wrong judgement for anyone to believe that as a people, they think this is ok. He's worried about his own safety here in Minneapolis, Minnesota because of the prejudiced people, it's creating alot of hatred here, and there are many people willing to hurt someone innocent right here in revenge , so are some of us any better? I agree with you that leaders of Arab countries and people who have the ability to be heard much wider than my friend should be out there opposing this type of activity.
12. Posted by robert | June 18, 2004 4:27 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 16:27
13. Posted by Brian | June 18, 2004 5:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Bastards. What else is there to say?
13. Posted by Brian | June 18, 2004 5:25 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 17:25
14. Posted by Jimmy | June 18, 2004 6:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
My frustration with President Bush over the whole War on Terror is that I just don't believe we have gone far enough. Lets put many more troops in the Middle East. Lets go into Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudia Arabia etc and take care of business. All out shock and awe.
But, here is the scary point to me, if one of the most horrible things I can think of coming out of the elections this year and that liar Kerry were to be elected, I am honestly concerned that we will see those muslims beheading Americans here in our homeland. These extremists will not be afraid of wimpy whining slimy liberal politicians. For our own safety, President Bush must be elected.
14. Posted by Jimmy | June 18, 2004 6:38 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 18:38
15. Posted by David Scott Anderson | June 18, 2004 6:39 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I am in the middle of an upload on my Blog, when it is done, I intend to Blog this. I see the hate mongers coming out already. I did not know Paul Johnson, but I know he himself was considering converting to Islam, and I know he loved Saudi Arabia and the culture of TRUE Islam, which this barbarism does not include.
For all of you people who are insulting the religion, are you ignoring the fact that the Grand Imam of Saudi Arabia, the equivalent of an Islamic Pope, basically excommunicated these assholes today (I guess they are not with the 9 virgins right now), since they were killed by the Saudis this afternoon. AND that a Muslim friend of his and many other Muslims, on websites and interviews on Arab TV, begged for Paul's life. What will be as disgusting as his cowardly murder, is dirtying his name and legacy with words and acts of hate against a religion that he apparently loved.
15. Posted by David Scott Anderson | June 18, 2004 6:39 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 18:39
16. Posted by Jimmy | June 18, 2004 7:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
But think of every major attack against the US and US interests abroad since the Vietnamese war was over in the mid 1970's. Who was responsible for almost every single one of those attacks? Extremist Muslims. All Muslims may not be murderers; however, when you wake up and realize who is doing the killing maybe we should wake up and keep a better eye on many of these evil people.
16. Posted by Jimmy | June 18, 2004 7:33 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 19:33
17. Posted by David Scott Anderson | June 18, 2004 8:31 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
We should have been keeping an eye on the Saudi's for a long time, but based on news coming out of Afghanistan in the last couple of days:
*Attacks by Taliban/Al Quaeda forces of as many as 100.
*Al Quaeda Establishing new Training Camps along the Pak border... Sounds like we should have kept our EYES on some people there as well.
17. Posted by David Scott Anderson | June 18, 2004 8:31 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 20:31
18. Posted by one infuriated | June 18, 2004 8:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
get all these American contractors out of there. what the hell are they thinking? and then drop a freakin' nuke on all these ignorant bastards. using religion as a sorry ass excuse to murder our people.
18. Posted by one infuriated | June 18, 2004 8:37 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 20:37
19. Posted by Hot Abercrombie Chick | June 18, 2004 8:48 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
What's up with these people claiming that all Muslims/Saudis are our enemies, all of them are evil and should be killed, when Saudi forces found and killed the person responsible for Johnson's murder?
19. Posted by Hot Abercrombie Chick | June 18, 2004 8:48 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 20:48
20. Posted by eclipsegurl | June 18, 2004 10:11 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The Americans who are living and working in the Middle East were aware of the dangers that could happen as the war against terror proceeded. These men and women were offered more money in a month than the average American makes in a year here at home. I think we would all give it a second thought to make $100,000 a year tax free. I'm sure that they felt that the risk was worth the financial gain. We are a compasionate minded society and impathize with the families when one of our own is murdered is such a brutal, inhumane way. We cannot fathom what drives such hate as these extremist have for us. Yes it is sad that we all flock to web sites to get a glimpse of the brutality and torture that these people have suffered but I stongly believe that this should be kept at the forefront of our minds. We shouldn't forget about 9/11, David Pearl, Nick Berg or Paul Johnson. The innocent are the targets they are going after. We must support our Administration to continue the search and possibly wipe out this plite that has affected all of our lives. If we allow them to get what they want, they will be on our soil spreading their torture like wild fire.
My heart goes out to Paul Johnson's family.
20. Posted by eclipsegurl | June 18, 2004 10:11 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 22:11
21. Posted by Sdas | June 18, 2004 11:43 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Actually we should attack all countries that have real ***TIES*** with Al Qaida...what is the point in attacking Iraq when nuclear countries like Pakistan which helped build and train them are free. We should infact bomb the shit out of Pakistan so that they dont play any double games with us.
21. Posted by Sdas | June 18, 2004 11:43 PM |
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Posted on June 18, 2004 23:43
22. Posted by Gomer Pyle | June 19, 2004 12:06 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
On second thought, why don't we release the prisoners that they want. We could pack their bodies with C4 and a remote detinating device. When they reach the extremist leadership camps to celebrate, hit the switch and blow all their ass to the kingdom come. We should fight as dirty as they are fighting. We should round up everyone of them that are here in this country, put their butts on a plan with several pigs and fly them back to the land of sand.
22. Posted by Gomer Pyle | June 19, 2004 12:06 AM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 00:06
23. Posted by mike | June 19, 2004 2:07 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
what do americans expect? people to laydown while they murder those around them. Remember the americane are the only ones th use WMD ( remember WW2 ) Anyhow who appointed the U.S as guardians of freedom, along with their jewish mates they are worst offenders.
23. Posted by mike | June 19, 2004 2:07 AM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 02:07
24. Posted by Beth the Vast Right Wing Conspirator | June 19, 2004 2:16 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Check THIS out... Now the sociopathic terrorist SWINE are saying al-Moqrin/Muqrin/whatever was NOT KILLED--that it's Saudi propaganda:
Website statement rejects Muqrin's death
24. Posted by Beth the Vast Right Wing Conspirator | June 19, 2004 2:16 AM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 02:16
25. Posted by DANEgerus | June 19, 2004 8:01 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Meanwhile the NYTimes runs it's 50th Abu Grabass story in 54 days taking a break from Lewinskying JFKerry(D)... briefly...
So who else thinks a 'chick' leading a misogynistic Islamofascist terrorist around by a leash is a 'bad thing' now?
25. Posted by DANEgerus | June 19, 2004 8:01 AM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 08:01
26. Posted by Mike | June 19, 2004 11:38 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Fry the phuckers with all the nukes we have, then make 1000 more warheads and repeat it just to be sure.
26. Posted by Mike | June 19, 2004 11:38 AM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 11:38
27. Posted by THE WOLF PACK | June 19, 2004 12:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
KILL THEM ALL LET GOD SORT THEM OUT.
27. Posted by THE WOLF PACK | June 19, 2004 12:17 PM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 12:17
28. Posted by Somadatthem | June 19, 2004 1:04 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I believe that this is a galvanizing event for Americans in the fight against the terrorist savages. I feel that Americans have had enough of seeing our citizens kidnapped and brutally murdered by these camel humping greaseballs.
We Americans actually helped to STOP the MURDER of MUSLIMS by the serbs in Kosovo less than a decade ago. Those thugs choose not to consider that fact. The Islamic rhetoric about Infidels is just a bunch of garbage spewing out of the mouths of powerless thugs acting in the name of Islam.
Personally I believe that Americans have had enough. There will be payback against muslims in America. Mosques will burn and hopefully some muslims will be kidnapped and their heads will be taken off with a chain saw. Innocent or not.
Those animals do not understand or care about anything except violence. They are a religion of cowards. All of them. The "peace loving" followers of Islam that others have mentioned are nothing but cowards. They do nothing to denounce the acts of those commiting atrocities in the name of their religion. Their complacency is the same as condoning the terrorist actions.
Brace yourself, because Muslims will die in this country. I for one won't condemn the people who kill them.
28. Posted by Somadatthem | June 19, 2004 1:04 PM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 13:04
29. Posted by David Anderson | June 19, 2004 1:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
This is getting really scary.
29. Posted by David Anderson | June 19, 2004 1:17 PM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 13:17
30. Posted by jheka | June 19, 2004 7:20 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The vile subhuman muslim scum have declared war upon western civilization in the name of their screwed-up interpretation of the Religion of Peace have brutally murdered American Paul Johnson. Why did these muslim animals (with apologies to actual animals) do this? Why, because he was American and they could. It is time to take the gloves off. Enough. Enough of the Geneva Conventions, which were for nations and entered into with the idea that both sides of a conflict would honor them. Enough of the UN, those sorry apologists for and financiers of monsters. Enough of the EU and old Europe and their pandering cheese-eating ways. Enough of the ISM and ANSWER and CAIR and Amnesty International and Michael Moore and his treasonous so-called documentaries. Enough of every single moron who doesn't understand that there is a war to the end and our only voice in the matter is whether we fight it and whose end it will be. Enough. The ideology of Islamism, which will shed blood of good godly men like Paul Johnson and Danny Pearl and Nick Berg and countless others to its dying breath must be eradicated, branch and root. There must be nothing left of it. Nothing. Not one Islamist mosque. Not one madrassa. Not one website. Not one murdering jihadi. Nothing. That's when we'll be safe from this Islamic psychosis. Not before.
jheka
30. Posted by jheka | June 19, 2004 7:20 PM |
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Posted on June 19, 2004 19:20
31.&