RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 18 (UPI) -- Saudi kidnappers beheaded American
hostage Paul Johnson Jr. Friday, despite pleas from senior Muslim clerics who
characterized such action as against Islam.
Johnson's body was found in the eastern part of Riyadh late Friday afternoon,
media outlets reported.
Saudi security sources told UPI Johnson, 49, was beheaded after his kidnappers
said Saudi officials failed to fulfill their demands.
The sources said the kidnappers confirmed the killing in two phone calls to
Saudi authorities and the London-based Saudi opposition Reform Movement.
Photos of Johnson before and after his execution were posted on a Muslim
Internet site.
The Lockheed Martin Corp. employee was kidnapped Saturday in Riyadh. He helped
maintain U.S.-built Apache helicopter gunships for the Saudi military.
His captors had threatened to kill him by Friday if the Saudi government did
not release al-Qaida prisoners and order Westerners to leave Saudi Arabia.
Prominent clerics had urged the militants not to harm westerners.
"It is a great crime to kidnap those who feel safe among non-Muslims and their
killing is a great treason, betrayal and meanness for which God's punishment is
great," said Sheikh Ali Bin Abdul Rahman al-Hozeifi, the imam of Medina, at
Friday prayers.
And Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Hamid, the imam of Mecca, Islam's holiest
shrine, told worshippers: "Any terrorist action targeting the faithful and
those whose blood should not be spilled, be they Muslims or not, is a criminal
act banned by Islam and contradictory to Sharia (Islamic law).

It's good that these statements were made. I just hope there's some action on their part to back up their words. ("They" meaning non-radical Middle Eastern Muslims)

To be honest, between the governments control of the media in the two iraq wars and all of the trouble in the middle east, i have no idea what my opinion is anymore accept, no draft and thank god i live in America.

big joe

Thankfully my job is with the media... so i like to read news as it terally comes over the wire before it gets audited and censored.... you should see some of the things...

I wish that i could see some of the stuf that you see come over the wire. :give :Beer :L

regardless of what the media says - ive seent the pics of this guy, and the videos of the other guys.

All I can be is angry. I can think of no excuse.

The thing that makes me burn are the shills for these creatures making them seem like "heros". The "religion of peace" needs to do a little house cleaning.

These executions are unexceptable.

As an American I can't even think of a reason to kill someone unrelated to a cause or even to kill someone.

I am glad that I am an American and live in a country were I can live free and think more of what to write in thread on this site than will I be killed if I walk out the door. Or will some foreign country bomb the :q out of my city because someone is hidding in my hometown who is being sought for terrorist crime.

But let's not also forget to look at our own country and our own hate groups that we have here in America.

We have extreem Americans and organized groups here at home (just like many from other foreign countries) who believe you have the right to kill someone because of race, religion, and sexual prefernce. "Do it in the name of Heaven you can justify it in the end. But the bloody moring after, One Tin Soldier Rides Away"