Islamic Web site shows video of U.S. hostage

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – A blindfolded American defense worker abducted in Saudi Arabia was shown on a militant Islamic Web site Tuesday as his captors threatened to execute him within 72 hours unless Saudi authorities released al Qaeda prisoners.

The hostage identified himself as Paul Johnson, a 49-year-old Lockheed Martin employee who disappeared Saturday, the same day another American, Kenneth Scroggs, was shot to death by suspected militant gunmen at his home.

The videotape, which was aired on CNN, was released by a group identifying itself as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which earlier claimed responsibility for kidnapping Johnson and killing Scroggs.

The U.S. State Department, in a written response, called the kidnapping “unacceptable” and promised to use “every appropriate resource” to obtain Johnson’s release but said it would make no concessions to his captors.

Johnson was shown sitting in a chair, his profile to the camera, with a tattoo on his left arm. A hooded man identified on the tape as Abdullah-aziz al Moqrin, al Qaeda’s purported leader in Saudi Arabia, read a statement demanding the release of militant prisoners and threatening to kill Johnson if the demands weren’t met.

Johnson’s capture has added a chilling new element in a year-old terror campaign in Saudi Arabia, marking the first time in which militants have turned to kidnapping. Three Westerners, including Scroggs and another American defense worker, were killed in attacks by militants during a six-day period last week.

Johnson, of Stafford Township, N.J., had worked in Saudi Arabia for 10 years and was employed in a program developing night-vision goggles for Apache helicopters used by the Saudi military.

In its statement, al Qaeda said that Johnson’s capture was aimed at the U.S. engineering team that “oversees the development of the American Apache helicopter that attacks Muslims in Palestine and Afghanistan.”

Family members, who been gathered in New Jersey since Johnson’s disappearance, received more than 300 e-mails from Lockheed employees expressing support.

His son, Paul Johnson III, released a statement late Monday saying the family is “extremely distraught” and is praying for Johnson’s safe return. He described his father as a hard worker “who loved living in Saudi Arabia” and often studied the Quran, the Islamic holy book. “He felt he never had any fear for his safety,” said the younger Johnson.

The Saudi government is leading the investigation into the kidnapping with support from the State Department and the FBI. Saudi foreign affairs adviser Adel al-Jubeir told CNN that Saudi investigators were coordinating with U.S. officials but wouldn’t negotiate with terrorists.

In an earlier terror incident late last month, Saudis dispatched a team of commandoes to end a terrorist siege in Khobar, where 22 hostages were killed.