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Connecting the Dots

Aired October 21, 2003 - 13:00   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Connecting the dots between two horrendous crimes, one of a scope that truly changed the world, the other, a single, horrifying murder.
U.S. officials are telling CNN they believe they know the killer of journalist Daniel Pearl of "The Wall Street Journal." They say the hands that held the knife that slit Pearl's throat in Pakistan belong to the man considered the mastermind of 09/11.

CNN's David Ensor joining us from Washington with more on this developing story -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, U.S. officials say they have what they call new evidence, indicating to them that it was, indeed, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, as you say, the mastermind of 9/11 who personally slit the throat of Daniel Pearl, "The Wall Street Journal" reporter who was kidnapped and killed, kidnapped first in January 2002.

Now Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, this is an extraordinary act for a man who was the mastermind, one of the senior officials in al Qaeda, to commit a murder personally. But U.S. officials say they are now convinced, it is their belief based on this new information that he actually did the killing himself.

Now, officials say they do not believe he will be put on trial any time soon for this murder. He is, in fact, a prisoner at an undisclosed location outside the United States, of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, but officials wouldn't rule out a trial or legal action against him at some time in the future -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: David, why now? What was it about the evidence that came out at this point? Was there some analysis of that videotape? Do you have any sense of how they put this together?

ENSOR: You know, they are not willing to talk about what this new information is that they have. U.S. officials unwilling to confirm whether or not Khalid Shaikh Muhammad has confessed to this crime, and in fact CNN's Kelli Arena was told by one official that there is no confession. So not clear at this point what the new evidence is, but it seems to be convincing a lot of people in the U.S. government that Khalid Shaikh Muhammad actually committed this murder with a knife against the throat of Daniel pearl personally, himself.

O'BRIEN: And, of course, we're getting into an area here which would be very difficult to confirm. We don't know where he's being held, much less whether he's cooperating with the authorities as they interrogate him.

ENSOR: Well, officials are unwilling to say anything about what Khalid Shaikh Muhammad he may or may not be telling them.

But in a general sense, U.S. officials tell me that all of the senior al Qaeda prisoners that are in the hands mostly of the CIA, are cooperating in one way or another, with their interrogators, have supplied useful intelligence at one time or another. So it may be that he's talking about this, but they're not telling us.

O'BRIEN: David, do you know if prior to this word today, if there was more or less a short list of suspects out there?

ENSOR: You know, there had been a suggestion. In fact, it was in the press at the time, by some of those who were being tried in a Pakistani court as accomplices in this crime. Back in September of last year, Some of those in open court said in Pakistan that Khalid Shaikh Muhammad had been the actual killer. But that at the time was treated with skepticism, shall we say, by U.S. officials. But apparently, they have some new information that is now causing them to say they believe it.

O'BRIEN: All right, and if, in fact -- of course, he's held by U.S. authorities. We don't know where. If, in fact, at some point murder charges were leveled at him, what would the jurisdiction be, how would that all play out? Or are we getting way too far down the road here?

ENSOR: It's a very interesting question. You would have problems if it was Pakistan. You would have problems if it was the United States.

Certainly the highest priority for the U.S. intelligence and for the U.S. government right now is to pump every piece of information they can get out of Khalid Shaikh Muhammad about any possible future terrorism. That is a much higher priority than justice for him in this possible murder case.

O'BRIEN: All right. CNN's David Ensor, thanks very much. Really appreciate it.

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 October 21, 2003 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Connecting the dots between two horrendous crimes, one of a scope that truly changed the world, the other, a single, horrifying murder.
U.S. officials are telling CNN they believe they know the killer of journalist Daniel Pearl of "The Wall Street Journal." They say the hands that held the knife that slit Pearl's throat in Pakistan belong to the man considered the mastermind of 09/11.

CNN's David Ensor joining us from Washington with more on this developing story -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, U.S. officials say they have what they call new evidence, indicating to them that it was, indeed, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, as you say, the mastermind of 9/11 who personally slit the throat of Daniel Pearl, "The Wall Street Journal" reporter who was kidnapped and killed, kidnapped first in January 2002.

Now Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, this is an extraordinary act for a man who was the mastermind, one of the senior officials in al Qaeda, to commit a murder personally. But U.S. officials say they are now convinced, it is their belief based on this new information that he actually did the killing himself.

Now, officials say they do not believe he will be put on trial any time soon for this murder. He is, in fact, a prisoner at an undisclosed location outside the United States, of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, but officials wouldn't rule out a trial or legal action against him at some time in the future -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: David, why now? What was it about the evidence that came out at this point? Was there some analysis of that videotape? Do you have any sense of how they put this together?

ENSOR: You know, they are not willing to talk about what this new information is that they have. U.S. officials unwilling to confirm whether or not Khalid Shaikh Muhammad has confessed to this crime, and in fact CNN's Kelli Arena was told by one official that there is no confession. So not clear at this point what the new evidence is, but it seems to be convincing a lot of people in the U.S. government that Khalid Shaikh Muhammad actually committed this murder with a knife against the throat of Daniel pearl personally, himself.

O'BRIEN: And, of course, we're getting into an area here which would be very difficult to confirm. We don't know where he's being held, much less whether he's cooperating with the authorities as they interrogate him.

ENSOR: Well, officials are unwilling to say anything about what Khalid Shaikh Muhammad he may or may not be telling them.

But in a general sense, U.S. officials tell me that all of the senior al Qaeda prisoners that are in the hands mostly of the CIA, are cooperating in one way or another, with their interrogators, have supplied useful intelligence at one time or another. So it may be that he's talking about this, but they're not telling us.

O'BRIEN: David, do you know if prior to this word today, if there was more or less a short list of suspects out there?

ENSOR: You know, there had been a suggestion. In fact, it was in the press at the time, by some of those who were being tried in a Pakistani court as accomplices in this crime. Back in September of last year, Some of those in open court said in Pakistan that Khalid Shaikh Muhammad had been the actual killer. But that at the time was treated with skepticism, shall we say, by U.S. officials. But apparently, they have some new information that is now causing them to say they believe it.

O'BRIEN: All right, and if, in fact -- of course, he's held by U.S. authorities. We don't know where. If, in fact, at some point murder charges were leveled at him, what would the jurisdiction be, how would that all play out? Or are we getting way too far down the road here?

ENSOR: It's a very interesting question. You would have problems if it was Pakistan. You would have problems if it was the United States.

Certainly the highest priority for the U.S. intelligence and for the U.S. government right now is to pump every piece of information they can get out of Khalid Shaikh Muhammad about any possible future terrorism. That is a much higher priority than justice for him in this possible murder case.

O'BRIEN: All right. CNN's David Ensor, thanks very much. Really appreciate it.

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