You look a little dead there....

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/me...nap/index.html

Al-Muqrin claimed responsibility for beheading of U.S. hostage Johnson
Saturday, June 19, 2004 Posted: 1404 GMT (2204 HKT)



Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin
VIDEO
CNN's Nic Robertson reports on the apparent death of al Qaeda leader Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin.

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Paul Johnson Jr. was beheaded by his captors in Saudi Arabia.

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Secretary of State Powell condemns the killing as barbaric.

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RELATED
Interactive: Profile: Paul Johnson Jr


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• Al-Muqrin a fighter since teen years
Audio Slide Show: Reactions to Johnson's death
Gallery: Johnson and his captors

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(CNN) -- Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin -- the top name on the Saudi Interior Ministry's most wanted list and the self-proclaimed leader of al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia -- is indeed dead, Saudi security sources told CNN on Saturday after an Islamist Web site denied the reports.

Saudi officials said al-Muqrin and three others were killed Friday after authorities found the beheaded body of U.S. engineer Paul Johnson -- kidnapped a week ago by al-Muqrin, who promised to kill him if his demands weren't met.

"The bodies have been shown on Saudi TV," a security source told CNN. "If he wasn't dead, he would be issuing the statement instead of having it issued in his name."

"This is the group that has been the same that has carried out operations since November," the source said. "So while there are some out there, we hope that this means large-scale attacks won't happen again."

An Islamist Web site Saturday disputed reports that the Saudis had killed the al Qaeda militant who claimed responsibility for the beheading of Johnson Jr., calling it "false news."

At least 10 other important suspects from al-Muqrin's terror cell were arrested Friday, including al-Muqrin's No. 2 man Rakan Muhsin Mohammad Alsaykhan -- the second most-wanted on the Saudi Interior Ministry's list -- Saudi security sources said.

Those captured include several senior al Qaeda operatives from different operational units in Saudi Arabia, the sources said.

The sources said authorities also confiscated a vehicle that was used in an attack on a BBC crew that left a cameraman dead.

The Web statement from "Voice of Jihad" denied that al-Muqrin was dead.

"God the great has said, 'Oh believers, if an infidel came to you with some news, verify all,'" the statement began.

Saudi officials, who initially indicated they would conduct DNA tests to verify al-Muqrin's identity, later said it was unnecessary. Saudi TV broadcast photos it said were of the bodies of al-Muqrin and three other terror suspects killed Friday.

Two of the dead were identified as Faisal Abdulrahman Abdullah Aldakheel and Bandar Abdulrahman Abdullah Aldakheel, two brothers who were 11th and 20th, respectively, on the Saudi most-wanted list, the sources said. The four were slain after a police chase and gunbattle in Riyadh, the sources said. Five Saudi security forces were also killed.

Also killed was Turki al-Mutari, who was responsible for carrying out an operation in Khobar last month, he said.

Five Saudi security forces were also killed.

Saudi security sources said it was significant that Alsaykhan -- who had close ties with the al Qaeda mastermind of the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole -- was captured alive, but wounded.

Johnson, a Lockheed Martin Corp. employee who worked on Apache helicopters, was kidnapped in Riyadh a week ago. On Tuesday, an Islamist Web site posted a warning from his militant captors that they would execute him unless the Saudi government released al Qaeda prisoners and all Westerners left the Arabian Peninsula.

On Friday, a Web site posted three still photographs of Johnson's head and body, and a few hours later, authorities found the decapitated body.

'We did everything we could to find him'
More than 15,000 Saudi security forces, working with U.S. forces, combed areas believed to be al Qaeda hubs in recent days, searching about 2,000 locations for Johnson and his captors, Adel Al-Jubeir, the foreign affairs adviser to Crown Prince Abdullah, said.

"We did everything we could to find him. And we are deeply sorry that it was not enough," he said.

As news of Johnson's killing spread, U.S. and Saudi officials strongly condemned the killing. Frank Lautenberg -- a Democratic senator from Johnson's home state of New Jersey -- issued a scathing indictment of Saudi Arabia's efforts to combat terrorism.

"The Saudi Arabian government has shown too much patience for these terrorist cells and the ideologies of hate they preach. The United States will no longer tolerate Saudi neglect of the extremists and terrorists who live and thrive in the kingdom," Lautenberg said.

"All further relations with Saudi Arabia must be entirely contingent on the kingdom's progress cracking down, reining in and snuffing out its terrorist problem. Deeds -- not words -- must be the benchmark of Saudi progress in solving the terrorist problem that threatens its society as much as it threatens our own."

Johnson's killing condemned
Speaking in Seattle, President Bush said: "The murder of Paul shows the evil nature of the enemy we face. ... We must pursue these people and bring them to justice before they hurt other Americans."

Al-Muqrin claimed responsibility for Johnson's kidnapping and the death of another American last Saturday on behalf of a group calling itself the Al Falluja Squadron, which claims to have ties to al Qaeda.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell condemned what he called an "action of barbarism."

"It shows once again what the world is dealing with -- to behead somebody or murder somebody, somebody innocent who was only trying to help," he said. "It will cause us and the Saudis to redouble our efforts to go after the terrorists wherever they are, wherever they hide."

Carol Kalin, the press attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, said the embassy is strongly encouraging Americans to leave the kingdom.

"In the last couple of weeks, as we've seen events unfold here, we urged those Americans who choose to remain to exercise the utmost caution," Kalin told CNN. "It's tough times over here."

Johnson's family in the United States remained secluded in New Jersey. FBI Special Agent Joseph Billy met with the family for much of the day and told reporters they "are going through a very difficult time, but they are remarkably strong."

"They want to thank again everyone for the outpouring of support they have received," he said. "They are very, very thankful for this and they wanted me to emphasize their thanks."