Daniel Pearl 'refused to be sedated before his throat was cut'

Horrifying new details of how Daniel Pearl, the murdered Wall Street Journal reporter, met his death have emerged from the interrogation of new suspects by Pakistani police.

Pearl, who was kidnapped in Karachi in January 2002, knew for several hours that he was about to be killed, but resisted repeated attempts to sedate him, police now believe.

He was fully aware of what was happening when the Arab extremists who took control during his final days cut his throat, according to information gleaned from Pakistani militants now in police custody.

Shocking video film of Pearl's murder, seen around the world via the internet, was in fact a partial reconstruction of what had happened a few moments earlier, officers have been told.

The camera operator made a mistake and missed the moment of his death, which his murderers then re-enacted, before decapitating the reporter.

The revelations have fuelled anger among police investigators that at least a dozen leading suspects in the kidnap and murder of the 38-year-old journalist have been arrested, but have not been charged or tried in connection with his death.

Some have been accused of unrelated - and mostly lesser - offences. The three most recently captured suspects have not yet been charged, and their arrests have never been officially announced.

The only cases brought so far in connection with Pearl's death have been those against Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the British-born al-Qaeda terrorist, who was convicted of kidnap and conspiracy to murder the American journalist, and three others who played relatively minor roles in the kidnapping.

All were given life sentences for conspiracy to kidnap, but are now appealing against their convictions in the country's high court. Pakistani authorities are said to be reluctant to put the new suspects on trial lest their evidence helps the first four win their appeals.

A legal official said: "No matter what Sheikh is guilty of, if the police were forced to change their account of what happened because of newfound evidence, he might be given the benefit of the doubt on everything else, and be set free immediately."

Omar Sheikh, the mastermind of the kidnapping, set the trap which lured Pearl to his captors. He put the reporter in touch with a man who, he pretended, would introduce him to an extremist Muslim leader whom Pearl wished to interview.

Contrary to evidence given during Omar Sheikh's trial, police now believe he may not have been present when Pearl met Sajid Jabbar, the go-between, at a Karachi restaurant. It was after the meeting that Pearl disappeared.

Investigators say that senior officials in the Sindh police - the force responsible for Karachi - are "petrified" that if militants arrested in the past year were tried for their part in Pearl's murder, their earlier case against Omar Sheikh might unravel in the courts.

One official close to the investigation said: "Even if these men have admitted their roles in the kidnapping and killing of Daniel Pearl, we simply cannot charge them because of its impact on that earlier case."

Police have pieced together new details of how Pearl was held in captivity for two weeks, and eventually killed, from those involved - including two who witnessed his final hours.

Many of the details were unknown even to Mariane Pearl, the reporter's widow, who wrote a moving memoir about his death, A Mighty Heart.

They now believe that Pearl was not forcibly abducted from the restaurant, but at first went willingly with Sajid in his car, while four other militants followed. He was driven to the house on the outskirts of Karachi where he was to be held and killed.

There, four others who would guard Pearl dragged him inside at gun-point, tying his hands and blindfolding him. "Even at this point, Pearl didn't realise that he was already in trouble, and kept asking why they were behaving like this," one of those in custody told police.

He was held for two weeks before he was killed but made at least one escape attempt - according to the arrested men, just three days before he was murdered.

"He tried to scale the wall but couldn't do it because both his hands were tied," one told police. His captors said that Pearl had difficulty sleeping.

They brought him English-language newspapers and magazines to help him pass the time and let him exercise inside the room.

His efforts to converse with his captors were limited since they could speak only broken English. However, one said: "He made clear that he was a Jew and his wife a Buddhist. He used to imitate the way she prayed, and sing hymns and songs whenever he thought about her."

Eventually, Saud Memon, who is believed to be al-Qaeda's chief financier in Pakistan and owned the house where Pearl was held, contacted a group of Arab extremists who took over custody and decided he would be killed.

Armed with a video camera, three Arabs arrived, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, third-in-command of al-Qaeda - since handed over to the Americans.

For the first time, police have now identified the others as Abdul Rahman and Nasrullah - both Kuwaiti nationals fluent in Arabic, Balochi and Persian. Authorities are still searching for them.

On the day Pearl died, two of his Pakistani guards were present: Ali Khan, arrested just two weeks ago, and Fazal Karim, an employee of Saud Memon. One recently told interrogators how the Arabs tried to sedate Pearl, first by injection, then by doctoring his tea.

"I think he understood that he was going to be killed and refused to accept tea or to gulp pills. He even did not allow himself to be injected."

Before he was murdered, they forced him to relate his Jewish background and express sympathy with detainees in Guantanamo Bay before putting the knife to his throat once - and then again, a second time, owing to the faulty camera.

One of those present told police: "When they were slaughtering him in front of me I thought it was a bad dream. I had seen the cutting of a goat or chicken many times, but had never seen a human being slaughtered in front me."

Karim is among those who have been arrested and jailed for other crimes: narcotics smuggling, in his case. Investigators fear that Khan will also escape prosecution for his part in Pearl's capture and death.

Five others who took part in Pearl's capture or guarded him are behind bars for their part in unrelated sectarian killings, and Pakistani authorities have no plans to press charges related to Pearl. Authorities have yet to reveal publicly that they are holding three of the suspects: Khan, Naeem Bokhari and Faisal Bhatti.

Last night members of Pearl's family said they wanted all those involved in the journalist's death brought to book, and urged Pakistani authorities to hasten the hearing of Omar Sheikh's appeal.

In a statement to The Sunday Telegraph, Mariane Pearl and her parents-in-law, Ruth and Judea Pearl, said: "We are eager to see justice served and the truth come out. We are especially waiting to see a just conclusion of Omar Saeed Sheikh's conviction and the apprehension of all those involved."

You're right on. A FREEPER asked a question the other night on a thread (and I can't find it now). I forwarded to my friend (via email) with comment. Below is the email.

If the actions of a few Americans represent all of America then why don't the actions of a lot of Muslim Terrorists represent all of Islam?

Perhaps no one has asked this because the question isn't "fair".

What have the Americans done...
There have been about a dozen or so American soldiers that have abused captured enemy (13 is the latest I have heard that had either direct or indirect involvement). They abused them, plain and simple (undressing them, placing fake electrodes and saying they would be shocked, naked human pyramid, etc.).

Result:
- Almost everyone agreed the soldiers actions were disgraceful and criminal.
- The individuals involved have been arrested, have been formally charged, and are in the process of a court martial.
- The individuals will be busted out of the service with a dishonorable discharge and are likely serve time.
- The individuals lives will be forever altered because of what they did.
- Their actions were rebuked at the highest possible levels, including the commanders in theater (General Kimmitt), the Joint Chief of Staff (General Myers), and the President himself.
- This rebuke has come with great swiftness and has been unequivocal
- American leaders have clearly pointed out that American soldiers do not do these things and condemned it in the strongest terms (including the comment that these soldiers were "a disgrace to the uniform", which is, I believe, about the highest insult one military man can say to another)

Let's look at what are Muslim terrorists have done in recent past…

- 1993 Killing of U.S. soldiers in Somalia.
- 1993 Bombing of World Trade Center; 6 killed.
- 1995–1996 Bombing of U.S. barracks in Saudi Arabia; 22 soldiers killed.
- 1998 Bombing of U.S. embassies in East Africa; 224 killed; including 12 Americans.
- Dec. 1999 Jordanian police arrested members of a cell planning attacks against Western tourists.
- Dec. 14, 1999 Plot to bomb millennium celebrations in Seattle foiled when customs agents arrest an Algerian smuggling explosives into the U.S. Other Algerians subsequently arrested were "Afghan alumni."
- 2000 Bombing of the USS Cole in port in Yemen, 17 U.S. sailors killed.
- Sept. 11, 2001 Destruction of WTC, attack on Pentagon.
- April 11, 2002 Explosion at ancient synagogue in Tunisia left 17 dead, including 11 German tourists.
- May 2002 Car explodes outside hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 14, including 11 French citizens.
- June 2002 Bomb explodes outside American Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 12.
- October 2002 Nightclub bombings in Bali, Indonesia, kill 202, mostly Australian citizens. Suicide attack on a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, kills 16.
- May 2003 Suicide bombers kill 34, including 8 Americans, at housing compounds for Westerners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Four bombs kill 24 people, targeting Jewish, Spanish, and Belgian sites in Casablanca, Morocco.
- August 2003 Suicide car bomb kills 12, injures 150, at Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- November 2003 Explosions rock a Riyadh, Saudi Arabia housing compound killing 17. Suicide car bombers simultaneously attack two synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey, killing 25 and injuring hundreds.
- November 2003 A British bank in Istanbul is bombed.
- March 2004 Explosion rocks Madrid, Spain kills 199, injuries 1,400.

Of course, you have heard all of these. But, what about …

- 1993- Present - the over 800 (yes, 800) fatal attacks on innocents (meaning non-military) in Israel since 1993, when the Declaration of Principles at Oslo was signed?
- 2003 - Casablanca Attacks in Casablanca, Morocco leaves 41 dead. The attack involved 12 bombers and 5 targets. The targets were "Western and Jewish". Attack attributed to a Moroccan al-Qaeda-linked group.
- 2003 - A bomb is detonated by Palestinians against a US diplomatic convoy in the Gaza Strip.

Result:
- Muslim terrorists are praised, not arrested or jailed
- The only terrorists that have been arrested have been by the governments that the terrorists oppose (cumulatively "the West")
- People rejoice in the streets, burn American flags, and throw candy up in the air for the children
- None or few Leaders of Islam step forward and rebuke these attacks and declare unequivocally that these people are terrorists and not true believers in Islam
- Most clerics praise the work of the Muslim terrorists
- Few heads of Arab states condemn the attacks on U.S.
- No heads of Arab states condemn the attacks on Israel

So, let me see if I get this straight:

1. A small group of American soldiers abuses a small group of enemy prisoners and they are being severely punished for it. As well, every American official has unequivocally denounced their actions.

2. Thousands of terrorists, in multiple terror groups (Al Qaeda, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, etc.), sponsored in one form or another by over a dozen nations, bomb and kill innocent people over and over again and the world yawns, no condemnations are forthcoming from any Muslim official.

Yes, we're bad; they're not. It is easy to see why people might think that the situation at the Abu Ghraib prison was "frat prank"-type stuff and not the cold-blooded killing and maiming that the Muslim terrorists have been specializing in for the last decade.

You will forgive me while I take the situation in the Abu Ghraib prison with a bit of perspective.

I think that pretty much sums it up

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