Kidnapped U.S. Engineer's Killers Claim Al Qaeda Ties

By Melissa Block

Published June 18, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

A group claiming ties to al Qaeda beheads U.S. hostage Paul Johnson in Saudi Arabia. The 49-year-old engineer, an employee of Lockheed Martin working on Apache attack helicopter systems in the Saudi capital city of Riyadh, was taken hostage last weekend. His captors warned they would kill him unless al Qaeda suspects were released from jail. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and Knight Ridder correspondent Dave Montgomery.

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Melissa Block

As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.

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