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CNN Live At Daybreak

International Wrap: Mistaken Identity in Pakistan

Aired January 02, 2003 - 06:34   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: For more on what looks like the case of mistaken identity in Pakistan, let's bring in our senior international editor, David Clinch to talk more about that.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Fredricka, well...

WHITFIELD: Or at least he says it's mistaken identity, that's for sure.

CLINCH: Right. Now, the story is the FBI puts out a list of photographs showing a group of men, they say, have entered the United States illegally; people should be on the lookout for them. A Pakistani individual wakes up a few days ago, sees this list of photographs in his local newspaper and says that's me. Now, he says this photograph is him, but the name is not him. He also says he's never been to the United States.

You see the two photographs here. That's the FBI photo there, and the photograph we've got of him now in Pakistan saying, this is me, yes, it's me, look at the mole on my left-hand cheek, I've never been to the United States.

We just got our first video of him now. Today, we caught up with him in Lahore in Pakistan, and he hasn't gone to authorities yet. He says he expects Pakistani and perhaps even FBI authorities to come and interview him today, and he says he's prepared to answer their questions.

But he told our producer, who you see there talking to him, and others today that he's in Lahore and he's never been to the United States. He did acknowledge having bought an illegal or a forged British passport a couple of months ago and tried to move to the United Kingdom to work there. Certainly, that's not an uncommon practice in Pakistan; that would not be unusual. He said he got as far as Dubai and was turned back. He thinks that perhaps the forgers he used, used his photograph for somebody else, but he doesn't know. At least if you believe him, he's never been to the United States, and he's not that person.

So, it remains to be seen. But we've talked to him at length, and we'll feed some more sound from him later on to hear more about what he has to say.

And then North Korea also we're following again today. You saw Rebecca reporting there from a U.S. base very close to the DMZ. And again, as I said earlier, we're not trying to overdramatize, just trying to illustrate that there are a lot of American troops right there on the border with North Korea. She will be live -- Rebecca will be live later on in the Eastern Time today, tomorrow morning in Korea, from another U.S. base, which is actually inside the DMZ. Again, just showing how close these two countries are...

WHITFIELD: Right.

CLINCH: ... how dangerous in some ways that the situation is, even above and beyond this latest nuclear crisis.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and to make clear that those U.S. forces have been there. They were in position well before...

(CROSSTALK)

CLINCH: Absolutely. There's no buildup that we know of. They're there. They're prepared, but they've been prepared for a long time. But of course, the difference is now is that just across the border, nobody is keeping an eye anymore on what...

WHITFIELD: Right.

CLINCH: ... North Korean scientists are doing with this plutonium they're now able to use.

And diplomacy is in full swing. The South Koreans are sending envoys all over the world. But diplomacy equals time, and the more time the North Koreans have -- excuse me -- the more time they have, the more weapons they can build presumably.

WHITFIELD: All right.

CLINCH: So, those American troops are there and prepared, and we'll be with them.

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Thanks, David.

CLINCH: OK? See you.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you again.

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 - 06:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: For more on what looks like the case of mistaken identity in Pakistan, let's bring in our senior international editor, David Clinch to talk more about that.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Fredricka, well...

WHITFIELD: Or at least he says it's mistaken identity, that's for sure.

CLINCH: Right. Now, the story is the FBI puts out a list of photographs showing a group of men, they say, have entered the United States illegally; people should be on the lookout for them. A Pakistani individual wakes up a few days ago, sees this list of photographs in his local newspaper and says that's me. Now, he says this photograph is him, but the name is not him. He also says he's never been to the United States.

You see the two photographs here. That's the FBI photo there, and the photograph we've got of him now in Pakistan saying, this is me, yes, it's me, look at the mole on my left-hand cheek, I've never been to the United States.

We just got our first video of him now. Today, we caught up with him in Lahore in Pakistan, and he hasn't gone to authorities yet. He says he expects Pakistani and perhaps even FBI authorities to come and interview him today, and he says he's prepared to answer their questions.

But he told our producer, who you see there talking to him, and others today that he's in Lahore and he's never been to the United States. He did acknowledge having bought an illegal or a forged British passport a couple of months ago and tried to move to the United Kingdom to work there. Certainly, that's not an uncommon practice in Pakistan; that would not be unusual. He said he got as far as Dubai and was turned back. He thinks that perhaps the forgers he used, used his photograph for somebody else, but he doesn't know. At least if you believe him, he's never been to the United States, and he's not that person.

So, it remains to be seen. But we've talked to him at length, and we'll feed some more sound from him later on to hear more about what he has to say.

And then North Korea also we're following again today. You saw Rebecca reporting there from a U.S. base very close to the DMZ. And again, as I said earlier, we're not trying to overdramatize, just trying to illustrate that there are a lot of American troops right there on the border with North Korea. She will be live -- Rebecca will be live later on in the Eastern Time today, tomorrow morning in Korea, from another U.S. base, which is actually inside the DMZ. Again, just showing how close these two countries are...

WHITFIELD: Right.

CLINCH: ... how dangerous in some ways that the situation is, even above and beyond this latest nuclear crisis.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and to make clear that those U.S. forces have been there. They were in position well before...

(CROSSTALK)

CLINCH: Absolutely. There's no buildup that we know of. They're there. They're prepared, but they've been prepared for a long time. But of course, the difference is now is that just across the border, nobody is keeping an eye anymore on what...

WHITFIELD: Right.

CLINCH: ... North Korean scientists are doing with this plutonium they're now able to use.

And diplomacy is in full swing. The South Koreans are sending envoys all over the world. But diplomacy equals time, and the more time the North Koreans have -- excuse me -- the more time they have, the more weapons they can build presumably.

WHITFIELD: All right.

CLINCH: So, those American troops are there and prepared, and we'll be with them.

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Thanks, David.

CLINCH: OK? See you.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.