Another. From AP:
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) – An Islamic Web site showed videotape Tuesday of a blindfolded American hostage in Saudi Arabia, and said abductors threatened to kill him unless Saudi authorities free al-Qaida prisoners within three days.
Paul Johnson, 49, of Stafford Township, N.J., was abducted Saturday by a group calling itself al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. The organization is believed to be headed by al-Qaida’s chief in the kingdom, Abdullah-aziz al-Moqrin, who was identified as speaking on the tape.
“My name is Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr.,” the seated hostage says in the tape, an elaborate tattoo on his left shoulder. “I am an American. … I work on Apache helicopters.”
A U.S. official said the threat should be taken “very seriously” because the posting appears to be credible and militants have used the site before. “It has been a good indicator in the past,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. …
The Web site statement addressed Muslims all over the world, saying: “We have made a promise to ourselves to defend you. We will not let you down, and you should know that the treacherous tyrants who have helped the Americans against you, and shared your blood with them, do not represent the Muslims of Saudi Arabia. They are our enemies as much as they are your enemies. They are the enemies of God and his prophet.”