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CNN Live At Daybreak

Prosecutors Get More Time For Evidence Search in Pearl Case

Aired March 12, 2002 - 06:31   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's get more on the court appearance in Karachi, Pakistan of the chief suspect in the kidnapping and killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl. Our Ash-Har Quraishi is in Karachi with details.

Ash-Har, what can you tell us?

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well a high-court judge here in the city of Karachi gave prosecutors one more chance to bring sufficient evidence to file formal charges against Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three other suspects in the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl.

The judge had issued a 10-day remand, in which time prosecutors will have to file those charges. And prosecutors say that they want more time to get an FBI report on the authenticity of the videotape showing Pearl's killing. And they also want more time to recover Pearl's body and the weapon used in the killing.

Now, Saeed, whom the United States is trying to extradite, made statements before that judge today in regards to the extradition that may be stopped. He said if he were -- quote -- if he were extradited to the United States and then harmed, in what he called any kind of a -- quote -- "false encounter," then he says America would -- quote -- "suffer the consequences" -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ash-Har, can you tell us more about what the suspect apparently shouted as he was coming in or out of the courtroom? Apparently, he said "America will be finished." Is that right?

QURAISHI: That's the reports we're getting. We heard him say something along the lines of "cash in your dollars, America is going down," something to that effect.

COSTELLO: Those are pretty frightening words.

QURAISHI: Yeah, and right now what we're hearing from prosecutors is also that the 10 days that they've been given would be a last chance until the sentencing until this whole legal process is concluded in Pakistan for any extradition to occur, according to Pakistani law -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know by him shouting that, Ash-Har, he's not exactly hiding his alleged guilt, is he? QURAISHI: Well he has -- he has been outspoken and he's made conflicting comments. He has made it very clear that he does hold great contempt for the United States. He hasn't tried to hide that, but he -- the problem that they were run into is that the confessions and the admissions that he's made in terms of his involvement in the kidnapping were made without him taking any oath, and then the statements were also sort of taken back at that point. But he's not hiding his contempt for the United States at this point.

COSTELLO: Certainly not. Thank you, Ash-Har Quraishi reporting live for us from Karachi this morning. Thank you.

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