Posted on 06/16/2004 2:54:30 PM PDT by Zeppo
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi security forces and police surrounded a house in the capital Wednesday, Saudi security officials said, and intermittent gunfire was heard.
Police surrounded the entire district of Al-Badeaa, in southwestern Riyadh, and officers at a checkpoint about a half-mile away diverted traffic to other routes.
Gunfire could be heard late into the night and more security forces were seen arriving.
The operation came as Saudi Arabia has stepped up the search for the kidnappers of Paul Johnson, an American who was taken hostage Saturday.
Witnesses who had been diverted from the area by police speculated that the house may be the hideout of the suspected kidnappers. However, the security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, would not comment on who may be in the house...
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
My money's on the Saudis. This could be a Saudi production from the start, in which case the man has an outside chance of surviving.
Seriously though, I pray they are successful and manage to rescue Paul.
Saudi Police Surround House in Capital
SALAH NASRAWI
Associated Press
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi security forces and police surrounded a house in the capital Wednesday, but withdrew from the area hours later, witnesses said. It was unclear whether anyone was detained.
Security officials would not comment on the operation, which blocked off the entire district of Al-Badeaa, in southwestern Riyadh, for at least three hours while security forces closed in on one house.
Witnesses said they heard gunfire and the anti-terrorism force use loudspeakers to urge those inside the house to surrender.
It was unclear whether anyone was in the house at the time. The witnesses said security forces later searched the house and a nearby mosque before the large force withdrew from the area.
The police cars and armored personnel carriers that blocked the roads then pulled out, leaving just a couple of police cars at the square marking the entrance to the neighborhood.
The operation came as Saudi Arabia stepped up its search for the kidnappers of Paul Johnson, an American taken hostage Saturday by a group calling itself al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
Witnesses who were diverted from the area by police speculated that the house may be the hideout of the suspected kidnappers. However, security officials would not comment on who may have been in the house.
On Tuesday, Saudi forces arrested two militants north of Riyadh as they increased security while hunting for Johnson's kidnappers.
An Islamic Web site screened a videotape of Johnson, 49, of Eagleswood Township, N.J., on Tuesday in which his captors threatened to kill him unless the Saudi government freed all its al-Qaida detainees by Friday.
I just heard that they are going to have an update on Fox News at the top of the hour.
Can you post the update and ping me......thanks.
Hope it is more substantial than the update that I added in post 43... AP can be pretty worthless at times, wonder if Fox is using the same source...
Anyone working over there should have a tracking device implanted under his skin.
Or a Glock...
amen
Sorry to say I got a phone call while it aired. There were some interviews - but I don't believe it was the place where Johnson is.
WTF?
I've never seen a "no comment" comment made on the condition of anonymity.
Why not just make no comment? Why not make an unconditional "no comment", comment?
"I pray they get him out"
Let's all pray right now for him. Please.
Praying right now...(including Bush & military as well....
Late Wednesday, Saudi security forces surrounded a house in a poor southwestern Riyadh neighborhood whose residents are known for extremist Muslim sentiments. The security forces withdrew hours later, witnesses said. It was unclear whether anyone was detained or whether the operation was related to the kidnapping investigation.
Security officials would not comment.
Witnesses said gunfire was heard and that the anti-terrorism force had used loudspeakers to urge those inside the house to surrender. It was not clear whether anyone was in the house. The witnesses said the security forces searched the house and a nearby mosque before withdrawing.
ANother successful Saudi Terror operation.
Innocents killed, jihadis escape.
Any more news on Paul Johnson?
He's been on my mind since they announced his kidnapping.
Seeing what they do to others ... I pray he is rescued SOON!
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Wednesday that the US and Saudi authorities were working together to find Mr Johnson, a Lockheed Martin employee.
Saudi security forces carried out overnight raids in Riyadh. Several houses were searched in the districts of Al-Suwaidi, Darat Al-Badia, Al-Badr, Al-Murooj and Al-Maseef, witnesses said. Computers and CDs were taken away from some of the locations, but no arrests were reported.
There is also a bit more detail in this article:
Saudi hostage search continues
From correspondents in Riyadh
18jun04
SAUDI security forces combed several neighbourhoods of Riyadh early today for the second day as the clock ticked to a deadline given by al-Qaeda kidnappers who threatened to execute an American hostage.
Witnesses said security forces searched houses of terror suspects in the neighbourhoods of Al-Ghadeer, Al-Nafl, Al-Falah and Al-Wadi in the northern sector of Riyadh. They also scoured the restive Al-Suwaidi district to the south, where security officers were deployed in large numbers overnight.
No arrests were reported in night raids yesterday that lasted until early today in northern and southern parts of the capital, but security forces confiscated computers and CDs from some houses.
An Al-Suwaidi resident said helicopters hovered overhead as security forces went into targeted locations.
There were no immediate reports of arrests early today.
One witness said security forces also stepped up checkpoints in the northern Al-Murooj district and checked cars.
Authorities, apparently acting on specific information, have been searching for clues to the location of aeronautics engineer Paul Johnson after Riyadh said it would not negotiate with his kidnappers.
The American's abductors threatened to kill him by tomorrow unless hundreds of al-Qaeda militants detained in Saudi jails were freed.
The threat came in a video posted on Wednesday by "al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula" on a website in which the 49-year-old Johnson, who went missing in Riyadh on Saturday, was shown blindfolded with a piece of white fabric and tape.
Mr Johnson gave his identity, nationality and said he was working as an aviation engineer.
The captors gave authorities a 72-hour ultimatum to release the al-Qaeda militants, who according to an informed moderate Islamist, number more than 700, rounded up in the months since Islamist extremists launched a campaign of bombings in Riyadh in May 2003.
The militants have since last month diversified tactics, targeting Western expatriates in several parts of the country.
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