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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Kidnapped Reporter Daniel Pearl is Dead

Aired February 21, 2002 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: Tonight on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL STEIGER, MANAGING EDITOR, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": His murder is an act of barbarism. It makes a mockery of everything that Danny's kidnappers claim to believe in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Nearly a month after his kidnapping in Karachi, the "Wall Street Journal" announces the death of reporter Daniel Pearl. We'll get the very latest from our correspondents.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting tonight from Washington. Welcome to our special report, "The Murder of an American Journalist."

The sad news broke late this afternoon: 38-year-old "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan, on January 23, was confirmed dead. During these past four weeks, we've closely followed his captivity. We heard the painful pleas from his pregnant wife, Marianne, and his newspaper colleagues and friends. But now, their worst fears have come true.

Shortly after the grim news was announced, Daniel Pearl's family released a statement through a spokesman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY FOSTER, PEARL FAMILY SPOKESMAN: Danny's senseless murder lies beyond our comprehension. Danny was a beloved son, a brother, an uncle, a husband and a father to a child who will never know him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Let's begin our coverage with CNN's Michael Okwu. He joins us live outside the "Wall Street Journal" offices in New York City -- Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, clearly a very mournful afternoon and now evening here at "The Wall Street Journal." I'm standing in front one of three "Wall Street Journal" offices here in Manhattan. Some 120 reporters and editors were relocated to this particular location after their man office near ground zero was largely destroyed on September 11. So you can imagine that the past five months for "Wall Street Journal" staffers have been very...

BLITZER: Michael, I want to interrupt for a moment. The president, President Bush is in Beijing. He just spoke about what happened to Daniel Pearl. Let's show that tape.

The president is about to speak. He spoke a few moments ago in Beijing, read a statement, which we will shortly see. The tape is about to feed from Beijing. The transmission pool, they are cuing it up. And once the president makes his remarks, we will be able to hear precisely what he says. Our CNN White House correspondent John king is on the telephone.

John, while we await the president's actual remarks on this videotape, the mood must be very somber in the presidential -- well, John, let's listen to the president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Laura I and the American people are deeply saddened to learn about the loss of Daniel Pearl's life. And we are really sad for his wife and his parents and his friends and colleagues who had been clinging to hope for weeks that he would be found alive. We are especially sad for his unborn child, who will now know his father only through the memory of others.

All Americans are sad and angry to learn of the murder. All around the world, American journalists and humanitarian aid workers and diplomats and others do important work in places that are sometimes dangerous. Those who would threaten Americans, those who would engage in criminal, barbaric acts need to know that these crimes only hurt their cause and only deepen the resolve of the United States of America to rid the world of these agents of terror.

May God bless Daniel Pearl.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: President Bush speaking only a few moments ago in Beijing in China, speaking about the murder of Daniel Pearl, the American journalist. Our White House correspondent John King is on the phone. John, I was about to ask you, pretty somber mood among the president's aides, I take it.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, Wolf, a very difficult moment. The president informed very early morning this morning here in Beijing through the National Security Council back at the White House that there was a videotape showing graphic evidence, we are told by senior administration officials, that Daniel Pearl was murdered in Pakistan. Mr. Bush then decided to make that brief statement we just played on the air.

Obviously, two themes from the president: One is condolences and sadness and good wishes for the family, and especially the unborn child of Daniel Pearl, but also in the latter half of that brief statement the president's resolve, saying Americans are angry to learn of this, those who threaten Americans, those who would engage in criminal, barbaric acts need to know that these crimes only hurt their cause and only deepen the resolve of the United States. The president ending by saying the United States of America would rid the world of these agents of terror.

Beyond the president's statement, Wolf, U.S. officials say they're pressing the government of Pakistan and receiving full assurances that the investigation will continue aggressively. President Musharraf promising to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. The U.S. says it is obviously terribly disappointed at the news of Daniel Pearl's murder, but it does believe it is receiving the full cooperation and support of the government of Pakistan in terms of the investigation -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And the working assumption, John, among U.S. officials is that the -- this was an attack not only against Danny Pearl, the United States, but also by those in Pakistan who would seek to undermine the government of President Pervez Musharraf and embarrass him as a result of his support for the U.S. war on terror.

KING: That is the assumption of U.S. officials, and President Musharraf said it himself when he was in Washington. He under extreme U.S. pressure, cracking down on extremist groups inside his country, all that in the wake of the attack on the Indian Parliament back a couple of months ago that was blamed on Pakistani extremists. So President Musharraf having an internal crackdown on dissent and on extremist groups, and he believes that this was a backlash against that, that his own critics internally, those he was cracking down on, decided to show their displeasure with that crackdown internally by kidnapping and now tragically killing an American journalist.

BLITZER: John King, traveling with the president in Beijing, thanks for that report.

Daniel Pearl vanished while he was on his way to meet with Islamic extremists in Karachi, a meeting which turned out to be a set- up. Our Chris Burns is in Karachi, he joins us now. Chris, what have you learned about this murder over the past couple of hours?

I think -- Chris Burns, if you can hear me, I was asking you.

(CROSSTALK)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... the last few hours -- yes, Wolf, I've got you know. Yes, go ahead.

BLITZER: I want to just ask you what you have learned over the past couple of hours about this murder.

BURNS: Well, in the last couple of hours the authorities here, yes, are confirming that Daniel Pearl is dead. In fact, we have a statement from the Home Department of the Government of Sindh Province, that's the province here where Karachi is included. The statement saying that on the 21st of February, around 11:00 p.m. -- that's just a few hours ago -- a videotape was received by authorities. The recorded video contained scenes showing Mr. Daniel Pearl in captivity, and scenes of his murder by the kidnappers. The tape appears to be correct. A very chilling statement.

It goes on to say that necessary instructions to the investigation teams have been issued to apprehend the remaining culprits. It may be added that earlier in the day accused Fahad Naseem was produced in the court of judicial magistrate in Karachi, where he confessed to have sent e-mails and disclosed the role of co- accused already in police custody and others. Accused Fahad has been remanded in judicial custody.

More details on that hearing was that Fahad had said that the man believed to be the key ring leader behind this, Sheikh Omar Saeed, gave him money to buy a camera, and that Fahad Naseem also received a scanner so that he could scan the pictures, the previous pictures of Daniel Pearl, showing him in captivity with a gun to his head, and also making the demands that the United States release Pakistani prisoners held from the Afghan conflict in Guantanamo Bay, that they release those prisoners.

Those e-mails were sent by Naseem, according to his deposition. Those e-mails were seen in his laptop. Those e-mails apparently were tracked down by the FBI that provided the expertise the Pakistanis needed to find these suspects. However, this investigation obviously did not come to fruition in releasing Daniel Pearl. However, it did progress in finding these key suspects. And now -- the objective now of course is to try to retrieve Daniel Pearl's body and to try to more aggressively pursue the people who are behind this kidnapping -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And I take it, Chris, there's been no statement from the kidnappers in the aftermath of this videotape that's been released, confirming Danny Pearl's death. No statement explaining perhaps why they wanted to kill him?

BURNS: I have some bad audio here. I'm sorry about that.

BLITZER: I guess we have some audio problems with our Chris Burns in Karachi. We will try to fix those problems and get back to him, but our national security correspondent David Ensor is here in the Washington studios with us. You've been checking with your sources. They've confirmed that this videotape is authentic, obviously.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I spoke to U.S. officials who say that while these officials I spoke to have not personally seen the tape, they've spoken to others who have, and those people described it as a tape that shows Danny Pearl actually being executed, and then shows his dead body thereafter. And as I say, the people I spoke to haven't seen that themselves. They are told that is what is on the tape. So pretty chilling stuff.

BLITZER: And there's absolutely no possibility that there is a doctoring of that tape, this is, unfortunately, the real thing?

ENSOR: The officials I have spoke have said that they believe that this is what it purports to be. It is an execution and a dead body on assaulted. And it does appear to be Danny Pearl. There is almost no question about that in the minds of the officials I have spoken to.

I should mention perhaps that I'm also hearing that there is a federal grand jury which is considering felony charges against various individuals in this crime, as we speak. There's a sizable FBI team in Pakistan, as Chris just mentioned, starting with going over the e- mails and who sent them. Now there's the videotape. There are a lot of leads to follow and there's a pretty serious effort under way. The State Department put out a statement even before the president spoke condemning it, calling it an outrage, and saying that the U.S. and Pakistan are committed to identifying the perpetrators of the crime and bringing them to justice. U.S. officials saying that they are confident. However long it takes, that goal will be achieved.

BLITZER: David Ensor, our national security correspondent, thank you very much.

And eventually I want to bring back Michael Okwu, who is outside the headquarters of the "Wall Street Journal" in New York. But we have a friend of Danny Pearl, Joe Davidson. He is on the telephone and he joins us now live. Joe, tell us a little bit about your relationship with Danny Pearl.

JOE DAVIDSON, FORMER PEARL COLLEAGUE: Well, he and I worked together in the Washington bureau of the "Wall Street Journal" for a number of years. We were in a small group from the bureau that played basketball at the Y on Friday mornings. He would play the fiddle at some of our little office parties and some of the small clubs here in town. And he was a very good guy, you know. I'm really, really shocked and totally saddened by this news. I just, you know, maybe I'm in denial, but I still hope it's not true.

BLITZER: Some have asked why Danny Pearl would go into a dangerous area, relatively dangerous area, like Karachi. But you knew him as a correspondent, and tell us what motivated him? What made him tick, if you will?

DAVIDSON: Well, I think first and foremost, he was a very good journalist. And, you know, journalists, as you well know, we often want to go where the story is. Saying that though, he certainly was not the cowboy type. He wasn't the type to take reckless chances.

He was also the type I think, though, the type of journalist who wanted to be able to explain perhaps in complex issues about which a number of us might hold stereotypes that aren't correct. He could explain those issues, explain people in different places, perhaps with an eye, a very fine and distinct eye that many others didn't have.

BLITZER: OK. Joe Davidson, very sad news especially to you, a friend of his. Joe Davidson, a friend of Danny Pearl in New York. Thanks for joining us.

Let's bring back Michael Okwu. He is standing by outside the "Wall Street Journal" headquarters in New York. You were about to tell us, Michael, when I interrupted you earlier to go to the president's statement, about the reaction from his colleagues and friends over at the "Wall Street Journal."

OKWU: Well, Wolf, obviously it's a very grim day here at the "Wall Street Journal". People have been saddened by this. Some of the staffers that we talked to earlier this afternoon tell us that just right up to the very end, that they had been holding out hope that Danny Pearl, in fact, was still alive.

And, of course, you will recall that there have been so many conflicting reports coming out of Pakistan in several weeks that he was alive, that he was dead, and obviously, now we are getting confirmation that he is in fact dead. And it's been a very much an emotional roller coaster for staffers here at the "Wall Street Journal." They describe Danny Pearl as somebody who was an intelligent, insightful young man with a quirky sensibility. His boss, managing editor, Paul Steiger, describes him as someone who lived for his wife, Marianne, for his unborn son and for covering stories accurately.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL STEIGER, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": We are heartbroken at his death. Danny was an outstanding colleague, a great reporter and a dear friend of many at the "Journal." His murder is an act of barbarism. It makes a mockery of everything that Danny's kidnappers claim to believe in.

They claim to be Pakistani nationalists, but their action must surely bring shame to all true Pakistani patriots. We will, in coming months, find ways, public and private, to celebrate the great work and good works that Danny did. But today is a day to grieve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKWU: There are still people inside the "Wall Street Journal". Even though one of their colleagues has fallen, they still have a paper to put out. So there are many people upstairs who are still very busy making sure that the paper is out tomorrow morning. But they describe the mood inside as being very quiet and indeed very somber.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS RUMORE, WSJ EMPLOYEE: I'm sure we are all going to be grieving. In the next couple of weeks, we are going to be having meetings and we're going to talk more about it, you know, and celebrate his life and try to find some positive thing and realize that his life was about taking people that were very different than him, and, like his wife said it, his wife said it the best, that their lives were based on dialogues between civilizations, you know. And unfortunately, he became a casualty of that. And we just have to -- I mean, reporters have to look at things stoicly and, as they are, try to take away emotion and just the facts, you know, and it's going to be very difficult for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP) OKWU: Now his colleagues were looking forward to reading a first-person account of his days in captivity. That was a story that would have been published in the "Wall Street Journal", and clearly, Wolf, a story that none of us will be reading -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Michael Okwu in New York, thanks for that report.

And when we come back, I'll discuss Daniel Pearl, his case. We will have analysis with Richard Holbrooke, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and the former CIA operative Robert Baer, who spent a great deal of time in that part of the world. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

For more reaction now to the killing of Daniel Pearl and to help gauge the impact of the war against terrorism, I'm joined in New York by Richard Holbrooke, the former United States ambassador to the United Nations. He served as a diplomatic troubleshooter around the world and a peacemaker in major hot spots. And here in Washington, Robert Baer, he's a former CIA case officer with many years experience fighting terrorism in south Asia and the Middle East.

Ambassador Holbrooke, first, your reaction to this murder of Danny Pearl.

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: I can't add much to what President Bush said. It's a tragedy. He was a great reporter. It only should illustrate to the American public that the greatest risks in these situations are often taken by journalists, by civilian aid workers, by diplomats.

You know, in Bosnia, Wolf, no Americans, military have died since the Dayton Agreement six years, but a lot of civilians have. This is another illustration of it and my heart goes out to Mrs. Pearl and the "Wall Street Journal" family. He was a great reporter, as you know.

BLITZER: I know. And, Ambassador Holbrooke, how, if at all, do you believe this will affect the overall war against terrorism?

HOLBROOKE: Two things. First of all, it's a direct challenge to President Musharraf. Musharraf has been a tremendous ally, the indispensable man since September 11. He must now -- it's his job to clean out those elements in his own intelligence service, which are probably colluding with these terrorists and murderers.

Secondly, in Afghanistan itself, as you know, there's been a very serious CIA report in today's "New York Times" that the situation is unraveling, because the peacekeeping unit is restricted to Kabul. I think the Pentagon did a wonderful job of fighting the war, but they are not right in opposing the expansion of the peacekeepers outside of Kabul. They have to go into the rest of the country fast, or this thing is going to deteriorate in Afghanistan, and it will be become a sanctuary for more disruption of Pakistan. You can't let Afghanistan fall back into the abyss that it was in for the last decade. BLITZER: But how do you, Ambassador Holbrooke, how do assure the American public that that's achievable, that's doable without the U.S. getting itself involved in what they used to call a quagmire in Vietnam?

HOLBROOKE: Well, first of all, no one is talking about a significant American presence. This is a peacekeeping mission, and the British and the Germans and the Turks and others will lead it. There are no Americans in it now. A few hundred to help with logistics and intelligence and communications is entirely appropriate.

Secondly, look at Bosnia. We have been there five years, no one has been killed, the peace was won.

But I want to make the contrast, Wolf. In Afghanistan, there are 5,000 peacekeepers in one city only, and the place is falling apart already. In Bosnia, we sent in 60,000 NATO troops, including 20,000 Americans at the outset, and then we gradually drew them down so they're now 3,000 Americans and less than 15,000 overall. That's the way to go. And in fact, the Vietnam analogy you just mentioned is exactly what they're getting sucked into.

Everyone -- I was just in Islamabad and New Delhi, and the only thing the Indians and the Pakistanis agreed on was that they have to expand the peacekeeping force. The murder of Daniel Pearl is not unrelated to this. People are finding sanctuary because the peacekeepers are only in downtown Kabul.

And by the way, Mr. Karzai, a very impressive man who attended President Bush's State of the Union, is pleading for an expansion, and I saw today in Don Rumsfeld's press conference that -- which you broadcast -- that he was finally beginning to admit that he may have to rethink the issue. But they made a mistake in the Pentagon, and it's time to undo it by expanding that force.

BLITZER: Ambassador Holbrooke, do you have confidence in President Musharraf of Pakistan that he and his government are doing everything possible to find those responsible for the murder of Danny Pearl?

HOLBROOKE: Wolf, I know him pretty well, and I think he's doing everything he can. I don't know and I don't think anyone knows whether he really has his own security services yet fully under control, but let's be clear: He is the best thing we've got going for us in that part of the world, and we've got to work with him and support him.

BLITZER: Bob Baer, you've worked in that part of the world for many years when you were in the CIA. What's your take on what precisely has happened in terms of the bigger picture involving Danny Pearl?

ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA OPERATIVE: What worries me at this point is the reaction across the Middle East and will this be considered a blow to the United States and will it be followed by more kidnappings or more murders. I know U.S. companies in the Middle East are on full alert, worried about just this sort of thing, maybe even assassination of some sort.

BLITZER: What's your analysis, Bob?

BAER: I thinks it's going to spread. The longer the war goes on in Afghanistan and the more disruptive it becomes -- I agree with Ambassador Holbrooke, it's going to spread. We must take full control of this. He's absolutely right.

HOLBROOKE: I also agree with what Bob Baer just said. This is -- he's raised a very important point. If this is the beginning of a wave of small kidnappings -- and in a sense, Daniel Pearl is the latest victim of September 11. He died as a direct result of September 11th's aftermath -- we would have a very difficult situation.

So immediate, aggressive action is necessary, and we can't let Afghanistan become a sanctuary again for terrorists.

BLITZER: I'll ask both of you, first Ambassador Holbrooke. Do you believe the Bush administration is prepared to take those kinds of decisive steps that you're proposing tonight?

HOLBROOKE: On the military side, they did very well in Afghanistan, dispersing the Taliban. But I'm not clear, Wolf, why we have 600 troops chasing the Abu Sayyaf in distant Philippines on a small island in the southern archipelago, tiny, insignificant group of guerrillas not linked to September 11 when we are allowing the situation to deteriorate on the ground in the main arena. And then, of course, Iraq is awaiting its fate too, but we can't even start a policy vis-a-vis Iraq while the situation is visibly deteriorating, as the CIA pointed out in its report published in today's "Times" on the ground in Afghanistan. And Musharraf is not going to be able to take the heat if Afghanistan becomes a chaotic mess again.

BLITZER: And very briefly, Bob Baer, you accept that assessment?

BAER: Totally. I was in Sarajevo, by the way, during the war, and the ambassador is absolutely correct. We took full control of that country, and no one could move without our knowledge or under our authority, and it worked fine. And we have to do the same in Afghanistan.

HOLBROOKE: And Bob, they still can't move without our authority. We are top dog in Bosnia, and we have a rule, which you remember well when you and I worked together, we shoot first and ask questions later. Why have we restricted the peacekeepers to the city of Kabul? You and I both have the same concerns, and I hope that this question will be answered rapidly by the Pentagon.

BLITZER: Ambassador Holbrooke and Bob Baer, thanks for coming in on short notice. Appreciate it very much. We always appreciate your insight on this program.

And when we come back, we will review the top stories. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's an update on our News Alert. A helicopter carrying 12 members of the U.S. Army has crashed into the sea off the Philippines. A joint search and rescue operation is now under way. Reuters is quoting Philippine radio, saying two men have been rescued. The helicopter was on a routine mission. The Pentagon says there's no indication of hostile fire.

And that's all the time we have today. Please join me again tomorrow, twice, at both 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "CROSSFIRE" begins right now.

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