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CNN Live At Daybreak
Pakistani Man Says FBI has Wrong Man
Aired January 02, 2003 - 06:02 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with the FBI manhunt and a man who says he's being tracked by mistake. Earlier this week, the agency Web site posted the names and photos of five men wanted for questioning. The FBI believes these men illegally entered the U.S. on or around Christmas Eve.
Now, a jeweler from Lahore, Pakistan says the FBI is using his photo with another person's name in the caption. An agency official tells CNN it is -- quote -- "not inconceivable the photo is bogus."
And an expert on espionage suggests such a mistake would not be unusual.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID HARRIS, FORMER CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: This changes a lot and it changes nothing at the same time, because we know that when we're in the realm of an illicit transportation, smuggling, we're dealing with a dark miasma, often of confusion, some of it by design.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The FBI says it plans to interview the Pakistani jeweler as soon as possible.
A CNN crew interviewed the Pakistani jeweler today. Our Islamabad bureau chief, Ash-Har Quraishi, joins us via videophone with the comments from this man.
Hi, Ash-Har.
ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN ISLAMABAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Fredricka.
Well, the man in question, 33-year-old Mohammed Asghar who is a jeweler in the eastern city of Lahore, says that the picture that the FBI has listed on its Web site is, in fact, him. He says that he was surprised earlier this week when he opened up a local newspaper here in Pakistan and saw his picture, along with the other four men that the FBI is looking for in terms of what they want to find out. They say -- he says that he has no information about terrorism, he has no links to terrorism, and he also says that he has never been to the United States, nor has he ever traveled -- or tried to travel to the United States.
Now, Asghar says that he admits to having left Pakistan in November. He said he was trying to go to London to try and find what he called a better job. Now, he also admitted to having forged documents, a UK passport, which was made. He said that he needed that to try -- to be able to work in Britain. But he says that he has no ties to these five people. He says that he does not know who any of the other four members are, and he's looking for some clarification at this point.
Now, he also understands that the FBI is interested in questioning him, trying to clarify exactly what's going on, if, in fact, this is the man they're looking, or if it's the wrong picture with the wrong name, that's what he'd like to clarify at this point. But he says he is a little bit scared about talking to the FBI -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And is there a timetable, Ash-Har, on when that conversation or when those conversations might take place?
QURAISHI: Well, our understanding is that the FBI would like to question him as soon as possible. We also understand from our sources that intelligence here in Pakistan has been assisting, and that they may be involved in that questioning as well.
Asghar says that he, for the time being, will stay close to his jewelry shop, which is in a very crowded area where he says he feels the safest right now -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ash-Har Quraishi from Islamabad -- thank you very much.
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 January 2, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with the FBI manhunt and a man who says he's being tracked by mistake. Earlier this week, the agency Web site posted the names and photos of five men wanted for questioning. The FBI believes these men illegally entered the U.S. on or around Christmas Eve.
Now, a jeweler from Lahore, Pakistan says the FBI is using his photo with another person's name in the caption. An agency official tells CNN it is -- quote -- "not inconceivable the photo is bogus."
And an expert on espionage suggests such a mistake would not be unusual.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID HARRIS, FORMER CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: This changes a lot and it changes nothing at the same time, because we know that when we're in the realm of an illicit transportation, smuggling, we're dealing with a dark miasma, often of confusion, some of it by design.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The FBI says it plans to interview the Pakistani jeweler as soon as possible.
A CNN crew interviewed the Pakistani jeweler today. Our Islamabad bureau chief, Ash-Har Quraishi, joins us via videophone with the comments from this man.
Hi, Ash-Har.
ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN ISLAMABAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Fredricka.
Well, the man in question, 33-year-old Mohammed Asghar who is a jeweler in the eastern city of Lahore, says that the picture that the FBI has listed on its Web site is, in fact, him. He says that he was surprised earlier this week when he opened up a local newspaper here in Pakistan and saw his picture, along with the other four men that the FBI is looking for in terms of what they want to find out. They say -- he says that he has no information about terrorism, he has no links to terrorism, and he also says that he has never been to the United States, nor has he ever traveled -- or tried to travel to the United States.
Now, Asghar says that he admits to having left Pakistan in November. He said he was trying to go to London to try and find what he called a better job. Now, he also admitted to having forged documents, a UK passport, which was made. He said that he needed that to try -- to be able to work in Britain. But he says that he has no ties to these five people. He says that he does not know who any of the other four members are, and he's looking for some clarification at this point.
Now, he also understands that the FBI is interested in questioning him, trying to clarify exactly what's going on, if, in fact, this is the man they're looking, or if it's the wrong picture with the wrong name, that's what he'd like to clarify at this point. But he says he is a little bit scared about talking to the FBI -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And is there a timetable, Ash-Har, on when that conversation or when those conversations might take place?
QURAISHI: Well, our understanding is that the FBI would like to question him as soon as possible. We also understand from our sources that intelligence here in Pakistan has been assisting, and that they may be involved in that questioning as well.
Asghar says that he, for the time being, will stay close to his jewelry shop, which is in a very crowded area where he says he feels the safest right now -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ash-Har Quraishi from Islamabad -- thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
