Saudis Helped Al-Qaeda Abduct American

MSNBC | June 21 2004

The al-Qaida cell behind Johnson’s killing and a number of other recent attacks on Westerners in the kingdom detailed the abduction of the American, saying it was helped by sympathizers within the Saudi security forces.

An earlier account of the kidnapping operation posted on an Islamic extremist Web site said that al-Qaida militants disguised in police uniforms and cars provided by sympathizers in the Saudi security forces set up a fake checkpoint to snare Johnson.

The account highlighted fears that some diplomats and Westerners in the kingdom have expressed, that militants have infiltrated Saudi security forces, a possibility Saudi officials have denied.

In a separate article on the Web site, the leader of the al-Qaida cell behind the abduction justified the targeting of Johnson, pointing to his work on Apache attack helicopters for Lockheed Martin.

Johnson “works for military aviation and he belongs to the American army, which kills, tortures and harms Muslims everywhere, which supports enemies (of Islam) in Palestine, Philippines, Kashmir,” wrote al-Moqrin, who was killed by Saudi security forces in a gunbattle Friday night, hours after Johnson’s slaying.