Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

U.S. Says It Ordered Sheikh's Arrest Before Pearl Was Kidnapped

Aired February 24, 2002 - 17:01   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: "The Wall Street Journal" is remembering murdered reporter Daniel Pearl as an extremely cautious reporter, and an honest and caring person.

Meanwhile, it appears that Pakistani extremist who confessed to kidnapping Pearl January 23 was already in trouble with the U.S. at the time. CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett joins us now.

Hi there, Major. What's the latest there?

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Fredricka. CNN has learned of the elaborate effort the U.S. government undertook before Daniel Pearl was kidnaped to first indict and then win the arrest of with the cooperation of the Pakistani government of the top suspect in the Daniel Pearl abduction case, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh.

CNN has confirmed through senior administration officials this important sequence of events. On January 9 of this year, U.S. ambassador of Pakistan, Wendy Chamberlain, talked to her counterpart, the foreign minister of Pakistan, saying that Sheikh had been indicted and that the United States government was formally asking the Pakistanis to arrest Sheikh and put him in U.S. custody. On January 23, Daniel Pearl was abducted. On January 24, the FBI Director Robert Mueller and the U.S. Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain met personally with the Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf, telling him, number one, that the United States was renewing its request for Sheikh's arrest, and confirming that Daniel Pearl had in fact been abducted.

On February 12, Sheikh was taken into custody. On February 21, Daniel Pearl's death was confirmed. Now, as the senior administration officials have related this sequence of events to CNN, in no way are they questioning the Pakistani's government efforts to arrest Sheikh. They just say they tried, and were not successful.

Nevertheless, on CNN's "LATE EDITION" today, two members of Congress, Republican Mitch McConnell, a member of the Senate, and Christopher Shays, a member of the House, were asked about their reaction that Sheikh was on the U.S. radar screen and asked Pakistan to intervene, and they were unsuccessful. Here's their reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R), CONNECTICUT: I think it tells us that they don't take us as seriously as we are. I don't think our allies take the war on terrorism seriously, and hopefully they are going to wake up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: The senator from Kentucky, let me just add his comments. He said: "I think it tells you we're not perfect, and it's difficult, I'm sure, to operate in Pakistan, particularly," Mr. McConnell said, "before they became as friendly to us as they have been since 9/11."

Clearly, members of Congress will be alarmed and disturbed by this development, the fact that the United States government had identified Sheikh, had asked the Pakistani government to arrest him, bring him into U.S. custody. Now, of course, the negotiations are very intense between the U.S. and Pakistan of not only obtaining Sheikh's custody but all others implicated in the Daniel Pearl kidnapping and murder so they can be brought to justice in the United States -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much, Major Garrett from the White House this evening.

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