(AP/Washington Post) The militant group led by al-Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi posted a gruesome video on a web site Monday showing the decapitation of a man identified as American civil engineer Eugene Armstrong and said a second hostage - either an American or a Briton - would be killed in 24 hours. "The fate of the first infidel was cutting off the head before your eyes and ears. You have a 24-hour opportunity. Abide by our demand in full and release all the Muslim women, otherwise the head of the other will follow this one," the speaker said. In a video Saturday setting the 48-hour deadline, the militants demanded the release of female Iraqi prisoners detained by the U.S. military. The military says it is holding two women with ties to Saddam Hussein's regime, including Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha, a scientist who became known as "Dr. Germ" for helping Iraq make weapons out of anthrax, and a biotech researcher.
2004-09-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive