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CNN Live At Daybreak
Pearl's Kidnappers Threaten to Abduct More Americans
Aired January 31, 2002 - 06:01 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: The "Wall Street Journal" is making another attempt to win the freedom of Daniel Pearl. A short time ago, the paper released a message from its managing editor to the Pakistani group that's been holding Pearl for eight days now. Managing Editor Paul Steiger says the kidnappers will get nothing but global condemnation from Pearl's death and would do better to allow the reporter to tell their story.
We get more from CNN's Andrea Koppel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Upping the ante, Daniel Pearl's kidnapers delivered their latest ultimatum, like their last, via e-mail to news organizations. There were new pictures, and a new deadline.
"We have interrogated Mr. D. Pearl and we have come to the conclusion that he is not working for the CIA" the kidnappers wrote. "In fact, he is working for the Israeli Intelligence Service, Mossaad. Therefore, we will execute him within 24 hours unless America fulfills our demands."
PAUL STEIGER, MANAGING EDITOR, THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Danny Pearl is a journalist, simply, pure and simply.
KOPPEL: Pearl's employer, the "Wall Street Journal," made another appeal for his release, sending out its own e-mail message and taking to the airwaves.
STEIGER: He doesn't have the power to bring about the demands of the people who have him captive.
KOPPEL: What do the kidnappers want? The release of Pakistani prisoners in Guantanamo, Cuba, the repatriation of the Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, and payment for F-16 fighter jets ordered by Pakistan. But both U.S. and Pakistani officials say the F-16 matter was resolved years ago.
In Pakistan, the FBI has taken the lead in the manhunt, and while investigators now believe Pearl's kidnappers had orchestrated an elaborate trap, they still know precious little about who or where they are.
Also in Pakistan, Pearl's pregnant wife, who made an impassioned plea for a dialogue with her husband's kidnappers.
MARIANNE PEARL, WIFE OF DANIEL PEARL: I haven't slept for six days sine you're asking, but I have hope. I mean, you know I'm not desperate because if I stop believing in creating this dialog, then I stop believing in everything else, so I can't do that. I'm pregnant.
KOPPEL (on camera): Pearl's kidnappers have also put other American journalists in Pakistan on notice, telling them they have three days to leave the country or they'll become targets too.
Playing it safe, late Wednesday, the State Department advised all American citizens to think twice before traveling to Pakistan.
Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Probably good advice there. You heard some from Mrs. Pearl. That was an exclusive interview with CNN's Ben Wedeman, and she talked with him about her and her husband's life together -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIANNE PEARL, WIFE: We are two people who met and fell in love because we have the same idea, you know. And all my life, all his life, and our life together is just a big effort to try to create dialogue between civilization. This is me. I'm French, you know, I'm not American. My mother's Cuban. My father's Dutch, and my whole life is that, right?
And why I love Danny is because he has the same idea. So before I met him, he was covering the Middle East, you know. So when I met him he was always standing around, you know, trying to go places where people like there was a lack of understanding so he could write about it. And that's what really Danny is. That's why I was attracted to him at first. So he's almost religion, I would say, is truth.
It's somebody like who -- I never saw him say a lie. You know (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I've never seen somebody so honest about you know the people. He never has any judgment, you know, and the reason like why we're in Pakistan today is because we wanted to know more about the people and write about their views and keep working on that same idea of how we're going to create a dialogue because we know the world is not easy.
I am pregnant -- I'm going to have a baby, and we are trying at our level to create a better world. I mean it sounds like big words, but you know, that's our life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We are so on top of this story. We're going to have a live report from Ben Wedeman who's in Karachi this morning in the next half-hour. You'll want to stick around for that.
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