Murdered: Pearl's Throat Slit By Abductors In Video
by Adam Miller
The New York Post
February 22, 2002
Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was killed by his Muslim extremist kidnappers in Pakistan, the State Department confirmed last night - after the FBI received a chilling videotape showing his murder.
"The murder of Daniel Pearl is an outrage and we condemn it," fumed State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
"Both the United States and Pakistan are committed to identifying all the perpetrators of this crime and bringing them to justice." In the video, reviewed by the FBI in Pakistan, the 38-year-old New Jersey native is shown being brutally knifed to death.
Pearl is seen talking to someone when an attacker suddenly grabs him and savagely slits his throat, The Washington Post reports today.
"We are heartbroken at his death. Danny was an outstanding colleague, a great reporter, and a dear friend," the Journal said in a statement.
In Beijing, President Bush said, "All Americans are sad and angry to learn of the murder."
Pearl - whose wife, Mariane, is pregnant with the couple's first child - was snatched Jan. 23 in Karachi while seeking an interview with a radical Muslim cleric believed tied to shoe-bomb suspect Richard Reid.
"We're shocked and saddened about the confirmation that our worst fears have been realized," Pearl's parents and sisters said from the family's California home.
"Up until a few hours ago, we were confident that Danny would return safely, for we believe that no human being could be capable of harming such a gentle soul."
In several e-mails to news organizations, Pearl's captors had threatened to kill him if the United States didn't release all Pakistanis detained in the Afghan war.
The messages included photos of Pearl, some showing him in shackles with a gun aimed at his head.
Pearl had been trying to interview Sheik Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani, head of the Jamaat ul-Fuqra terror group, which reportedly has an outpost in upstate New York.
Pakistani police said Pearl was lured into a trap.
In a massive sweep, Pakistani cops arrested several suspects, including alleged mastermind Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British-born Muslim militant.
Sheikh, who sources say sent $100,000 to the chief Sept. 11 hijacker, Mohamed Atta, initially told officials Pearl was alive, but later said he was killed in an escape try Jan. 31.
Earlier yesterday, another jailed suspect said Pearl was kidnapped because he was a Jew - he held dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship - and was working against Islam. With Post Wire Services
Copyright 2002 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.
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