Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Pakistani Police Say Pearl's Release Could Take Days

Aired February 09, 2002 - 08:37   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: We are told that a high-level Taliban official has turned himself in. Officials say the former Taliban minister of foreign affairs is now in the custody of the U.S. military in Kandahar. One official says he was one of the top 10 to 15 Taliban leaders who remain at large. That official expressed hope the surrender will prompt other high ranking Taliban officials to follow suit.

Pakistani police are investigating the disappearance of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl still and they say they think the journalist was lured into a trap by his kidnappers. Police sources say a series of recovered e-mails suggests the kidnappers promised Pearl an interview with a Pakistani militant allegedly connected to accused shoe bomber Richard Reid.

Daniel Pearl has been missing now for more than two weeks. Still no definitive clues as to his whereabouts or his well being.

CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Karachi, Pakistan covering the story. He joins us now with the latest -- hello, Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

Well, this story has been a roller coaster ride of optimism and pessimism. Today we heard a pessimistic note coming from the most senior police officer here in Karachi. He said regarding the release of Mr. Pearl, he said it could take one day, it could take five, it could take seven, it could take more.

Now, what the police are doing now is pinning their hopes on trying to win the release of Mr. Pearl by holding essentially in detention some relatives of the chief suspect in this case, a man by the name of Sheikh Omar Saeed. He has been linked through a series of e-mails with the kidnapping. He is a man who was held for five years in Indian prisoners for involvement in another kidnapping case. In this case in 1994, the kidnapping of several British and American tourists there.

Now, what the police have done is they have taken into detention two of his relatives. This senior police officer tells us that they have also won the cooperation of Sheikh Omar Saeed's grandfather and his cousin. They're hoping that holding these individuals will increase pressure on Sheikh Omar Saeed to release Richard Pearl, who has now been in the custody of the kidnappers well over two weeks -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Ben Wedeman in Karachi, 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