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U.S. Requested Sheikh's Arrest Two Weeks Before Pearl's Kidnapping

Aired February 24, 2002 - 18:01   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: The United States asked Pakistan to arrest the chief suspect in the kidnapping and killing of Daniel Pearl two weeks before the "Wall Street Journal" reporter was abducted. That request was made at the Justice Department in a sealed indictment filing charges against Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. Those charged stem from the 1994 kidnapping case.

CNN's Major Garrett is keeping track of the latest developments in the Daniel Pearl case and he's joining us now live from the White House with the latest. Hello again, Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Catherine. Senior administration officials have confirmed for CNN this important, this crucial sequence of events dealing with the United States government's efforts to arrest the key suspect in the Daniel Pearl abduction and murder.

The suspect is this man. His name is Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and here's the sequence of events. Starting on January 9th of this year, the United States Ambassador to Pakistan, Wendy Chamberlain, met with her counterpart, the foreign minister of Pakistan, asking the Pakistani government officially to arrest Sheikh, in part because of his role in a 1994 kidnapping in India of four tourists, one of whom was an American.

On January 23rd, Wall Street Journalist Daniel Pearl is abducted. On January 24th, there is a meeting in Pakistan between the FBI Director Robert Mueller and Wendy Chamberlain, the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, and the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

At that meeting, FBI Director Mueller repeats the U.S. request for Sheikh's arrest and also informs President Musharraf, for the first time, that Daniel Pearl, in fact, has been abducted. On February 12th, the Pakistanis arrest Sheikh and on February 21st, Daniel Pearl's death is confirmed.

Now as senior administration officials recount the sequence of events, they in no way cast aspersions on the efforts that the Pakistani government undertook to arrest Sheikh. What they say is they tried and were simply unsuccessful.

However, CNN interviewed two members of Congress earlier today, Republicans, one Mitch McConnell, Republican from Kentucky, the other Christopher Shays, a Republican from Connecticut and got their reaction to this latest development. Here's what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH McCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: Well, it tells you we're not perfect, obviously, and it's difficult I'm sure to operate in Pakistan, particularly before they became as friendly to us as they have been since 9/11.

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 out allies take the War on Terrorism seriously, and hopefully they're going to wake up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: Now, Catherine, the next sequence of events in this particular case is their intensive discussions going on right now at the highest levels of the U.S. and Pakistani government about winning the extradition, not only of Sheikh, but all others involved in the abduction and murder of Daniel Pearl, to bring them back to the United States go justice can be meted out here as opposed to Pakistan. Catherine.

CALLAWAY: Thank you. That's CNN's Major Garrett at the White House, thanks, Major.

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