An Al-Qaida terrorist group in Saudi Arabia has beheaded American hostage Paul Johnson. Hours after the killing was reported, Saudi security forces said they killed the suspected leader of the terrorist cell that claimed responsibility.
Saudi security personnel say they killed Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin and two other suspected terrorists in a firefight in Riyadh. They said he led the group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
President Bush said there is "no justification whatsoever" for Mr. Johnson's murder. He added that America will not be intimidated. U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are in Saudi Arabia to help the investigation.
Mr. Johnson was kidnapped Saturday. His killers tied the execution to what they called the suffering of Muslims from attacks by Apache helicopters, which Mr. Johnson worked on for Lockheed Martin.
Information for this report is provided by AFP and Reuters.