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CNN Live At Daybreak
'Talk of CNN'
Aired November 14, 2002 - 05:39 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: And a little closer to home, a Pakistani man set to be executed in Virginia tonight for killing two CIA employees. I know you're familiar with that story.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. In Richmond, Virginia, our talk of the town this morning is Jimmy Barrett. I see him on the little CNN radio phone there, video-Internet phone.
Good morning, Jimmy.
How are you this morning?
JIMMY BARRETT, WRVA RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Good, Chad.
How are you, Catherine?
Good morning.
CALLAWAY: Good morning to you.
A lot of concern there about possible retaliation with this execution scheduled?
BARRETT: Well, it's making people like well -- well, I shouldn't say people. It's making officials, I think, a little bit nervous. I don't think your average every day Virginian is all that terribly nervous about this event. And we quizzed them. They aren't interested, quite frankly, in giving this guy a chance to get out of this, not at all. This is a case that goes back, guys, about 10 years. In fact, in 1993, two, he gunned down two CIA personnel and wounded three others, has shown absolutely no remorse since then.
It's been almost 10 years. The Pakistani government, I guess, has put in a request for him not to be executed. But now it's up to the Supreme Court and the governor, Mark Warner. And from what I've ascertained in talking to the governor's office, I would be absolutely shocked if they got any kind of a reprieve here from Governor Mark Warner.
MYERS: Jimmy, did he admit to the crime?
BARRETT: Yes. He's admitted to the crimes. He's shown absolutely no remorse. You know, he said he did not do it as an act of terrorism. He did it because he was upset about United States government policies and he has asked, he's come out and asked that there be no retaliation. But we do know back in 1993, or back in 1997, I should say, when his trial got going, that there was violence in Pakistan as a result of that.
CALLAWAY: That's right. Well, he was arrested in Pakistan, right?
BARRETT: Right.
CALLAWAY: Because he was missing for like four years. They were looking for him. And then he was actually arrested in Pakistan and brought over and I believe on that plane ride made his confession, on that plane ride back.
BARRETT: Right. And as you say, you know, I -- here's the thing. I mean even if you show remorse at this point, I mean let the punishment fit the crime. And as you folks have already been able to ascertain, we in Virginia have no problem executing people. That's part of what we do. We in Texas execute more people than anybody else. And, again, there are some crimes, even if you're a little lukewarm on the death penalty, it seems to me there are some crimes that fit the bill, and this would be one of them.
CALLAWAY: All right, any protests about this execution for or against you've seen there?
BARRETT: Yes, Virginia People of Faith For Alternatives to the Death Penalty is an organization that will be out there and making a little noise today. But, you know, there's always protests whenever you have an execution.
CALLAWAY: All right, well, we'll check back with you.
BARRETT: All right, guys. Thanks.
See you later.
CALLAWAY: Take care, Jimmy.
MYERS: Be good, Jimmy.
CALLAWAY: That's Jimmy Barrett with WRVA News Radio 1140.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 14, 2002 - 05:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: And a little closer to home, a Pakistani man set to be executed in Virginia tonight for killing two CIA employees. I know you're familiar with that story.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. In Richmond, Virginia, our talk of the town this morning is Jimmy Barrett. I see him on the little CNN radio phone there, video-Internet phone.
Good morning, Jimmy.
How are you this morning?
JIMMY BARRETT, WRVA RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Good, Chad.
How are you, Catherine?
Good morning.
CALLAWAY: Good morning to you.
A lot of concern there about possible retaliation with this execution scheduled?
BARRETT: Well, it's making people like well -- well, I shouldn't say people. It's making officials, I think, a little bit nervous. I don't think your average every day Virginian is all that terribly nervous about this event. And we quizzed them. They aren't interested, quite frankly, in giving this guy a chance to get out of this, not at all. This is a case that goes back, guys, about 10 years. In fact, in 1993, two, he gunned down two CIA personnel and wounded three others, has shown absolutely no remorse since then.
It's been almost 10 years. The Pakistani government, I guess, has put in a request for him not to be executed. But now it's up to the Supreme Court and the governor, Mark Warner. And from what I've ascertained in talking to the governor's office, I would be absolutely shocked if they got any kind of a reprieve here from Governor Mark Warner.
MYERS: Jimmy, did he admit to the crime?
BARRETT: Yes. He's admitted to the crimes. He's shown absolutely no remorse. You know, he said he did not do it as an act of terrorism. He did it because he was upset about United States government policies and he has asked, he's come out and asked that there be no retaliation. But we do know back in 1993, or back in 1997, I should say, when his trial got going, that there was violence in Pakistan as a result of that.
CALLAWAY: That's right. Well, he was arrested in Pakistan, right?
BARRETT: Right.
CALLAWAY: Because he was missing for like four years. They were looking for him. And then he was actually arrested in Pakistan and brought over and I believe on that plane ride made his confession, on that plane ride back.
BARRETT: Right. And as you say, you know, I -- here's the thing. I mean even if you show remorse at this point, I mean let the punishment fit the crime. And as you folks have already been able to ascertain, we in Virginia have no problem executing people. That's part of what we do. We in Texas execute more people than anybody else. And, again, there are some crimes, even if you're a little lukewarm on the death penalty, it seems to me there are some crimes that fit the bill, and this would be one of them.
CALLAWAY: All right, any protests about this execution for or against you've seen there?
BARRETT: Yes, Virginia People of Faith For Alternatives to the Death Penalty is an organization that will be out there and making a little noise today. But, you know, there's always protests whenever you have an execution.
CALLAWAY: All right, well, we'll check back with you.
BARRETT: All right, guys. Thanks.
See you later.
CALLAWAY: Take care, Jimmy.
MYERS: Be good, Jimmy.
CALLAWAY: That's Jimmy Barrett with WRVA News Radio 1140.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
