The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report

June 18, 2004 -- The deadline for the threatened killing of the kidnapped American Paul M. Johnson Jr. approaches as thousands of Saudi police continue their search. A video released on the internet Tuesday demanded the release of jailed militants in Saudi Arabia within 72 hours or Johnson will be killed. The mother of Abdul Aziz al Muqrin, the al Qaeda suspect wanted for the kidnapping, has made a public plea for the release of Johnson unharmed. Johnson's family and friends have also sent messages through the media and the internet urging the group to spare him.

THE WAR ON TERROR

INVESTIGATIONS

U.S. Hostage in Saudi ArabiaSaudis Seek U.S. Hostage As Clock Ticks With helicopters flying overhead, thousands of Saudi police searched for American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr. on Friday, as a deadline loomed for the kingdom to release al-Qaida prisoners or see him killed. (AP)

Saudi Police Seek Info on American HostageSaudi police search Riyadh for information about American hostage as deadline looms. (AP)

Relatives Go To Mass Media In Effort to Get Captive Freed Kidnappers are begged not to fulfill death threat. (Washington Post)

Saudi Friend Asks Captors To Free AmericanA Saudi colleague of abducted U.S. citizen Paul Johnson Jr. urged kidnappers Thursday to free the hostage, arguing that the victim is under his protection as a Muslim and killing him would break Islamic law. (CNN)

9/11 Commission9-11 Panel to Eye Ways to Prevent AttacksNext for Sept. 11 panel: how to prevent terrorist attacks in the future. (AP)

Cheney Authorized Shooting Down PlanesAt 10:39 on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Vice President Cheney, in a bunker beneath the White House, told Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in a videoconference that he had been informed earlier that morning that hijacked planes were approaching Washington. (Washington Post)

PakistanWanted Tribal Leader Killed in PakistanWanted tribal leader killed in mortar attack in rugged Pakistani border region. (AP)

Pakistani Army Again Targets Border Areas Combat with foreign militants and their tribal backers resumes. An ex-Taliban fighter is reportedly killed. (LA Times).

LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS

U.S.Terror Suspect Pleads GuiltyAn American of Pakistani descent has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and provided information about a Pakistani terrorism cell's plot against targets in London, officials said. (The Age)

ON THE WEB

Al Muqrin's Article About Kidnapping Operations The leader of the Saudi group who kidnapped an American in Saudi Arabia had written an article with instructions and details about how kidnapping operations should be carried out and how hostages should be dealt with. In the article, which was published online in April, Abdul Aziz al Muqrin acknowledged that governments usually don't submit to the demands of kidnappers. Al Muqrin, who is believed to be al Qaeda's leader in Saudi Arabia, also advised kidnappers never to lengthen the hostage-taking time and said the hostage should be kept in a safe place away from heavy security and strategic government areas. The article was published in the 10th issue of Al Battar Camp, a bi-weekly online magazine posted online by the group. (ABCNEWS Investigative Unit)

COUNTER-TERRORISM

Leaders Fortify Security AllianceThe presidents of China, Russia and four Central Asian nations met in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to bolster a security alliance and open an anti-terrorism center.(LA Times)

THE WAR IN IRAQ

Bush Insists al Qaeda-Saddam Ties ExistedBush insists ties existed between al Qaeda and Saddam, contradicting 9/11 panel's finding. (AP)

Full Iraq Oil Exports Expected to Resume Full crude oil exports are expected by end of next week, but could come as early as Wednesday, coalition officials said Friday. (AP)

Source: Four Kuwaitis Killed in Operations Against U.S. ForcesFour Kuwaitis were killed when they carried out operations against U.S. forces in Iraq, a source told Asharq Al Awsat and named all four. The source claims that they had decided to go to Iraq after hearing about the prison abuses there. (Asharq Al Awsat)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Saudis Wrestle With Qaeda DemonsThe Kingdom's rulers are divided over how to face the terror challenge. Their fate may be linked with Iraq's. (Time Magazine)

Some Lessons From Nations That Won the War On TerrorAt the Observatory of Human Rights in Algiers, the Algerian capital, a visitor is shown a chart indicating the course of almost a decade of terrorist war waged in the name of Islam. (Arab News)

Bush, Saddam and Al QaedaIf we forget for a moment that the evidence Washington had about Saddam's involvement with al Qaeda was plain wrong and put aside also why it was so wrong, we can concentrate on the real issue, which is that George W. Bush wanted it to be true. (Arab News)

Forgivable Once The latest interim report by the Sept. 11 commission describes a litany of errors and miscommunications by aviation and air defense authorities during the attacks. Under normal circumstances, these failures would be simply unforgivable, yet the tone of the report, if not commissioners' questions at a public hearing yesterday, is relatively understanding. (Washington Post)

Blind To The TruthThe Bush administration's reaction to the report of the bipartisan US commission investigating September 11, which has found no evidence of a substantive relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, is a classic case of none being so blind as those who will not see. (The Guardian)

The Insider Daily Terrorism Report (DTR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to international terrorism and the war in Iraq. The DTR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman, and Brinda Adhikari of the ABCNEWS Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.