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American Morning

Pakistan Police Raiding Homes in Search for Clues About Missing Reporter

Aired February 08, 2002 - 10:07   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the latest on the case of Daniel Pearl. "The Wall Street Journal" reporters who disappeared more than two weeks ago. Police in Pakistan are raiding some homes in their search for clues. There's a bit of an unsettling silence from the kidnappers.

Ben Wedeman once again uncovering the story live in Karachi where it is nighttime there.

Ben, good evening.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bill.

Well, it appears according to the Pakistani police that they are very optimistic about the status of the investigation. They have conducted raids in Karachi, Islamabad, Lohora and Raulpindi. They have formally arrested three individuals who provided them with key information that has allowed them to pinpoint the man they believe is the ringleader of the kidnappers. That man, Sheikh Omar Saeed (ph), a British-educated Pakistani militant with a long history of activity in this area. He was arrested in 1994 in India for involvement in the kidnapping of British and American tourists there. He was held there for five years, then he was released there as part of a deal to end the hijacking of an Indian airlines flight that was diverted to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Now Mr. Shiekh is also known to have sent $100,000 to Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker in the September 11th bombings of New York, and also, according to intelligence sources, it was Mr. Saeed who sent money to Marwan Shahi (ph), another one of those hijackers. Now, according the Pakistani police, they have taken into custody some of the relatives of this Sheikh Omar Saeed. In fact, they are using them as human bargaining chips with these kidnappers. They are telling us that they believe now the pressure is on the kidnappers, and that eventually they are going to simply have to give them up because of pressure from family members to get them out of this mess and to release Daniel Pearl once and for all.

The police however here are trying to temper some of the optimism that sometimes goes up and down here in Pakistan in ways you would not believe. Lots of rumors, lots of speculation. The police are saying they are getting closer to solving this problem, but they haven't quite gotten there yet -- Bill. HEMMER: Thanks, Ben. Ben Wedeman live in Karachi.

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