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Conflicting Messages Are Delivered About Journal Reporter Daniel Pearl
The Wall Street Journal
Posted on 2/1/02 11:28 AM Pacific by VinnyTex

February 1, 2002

AFTERMATH OF TERROR

Conflicting Messages Are Delivered
About Journal Reporter Daniel Pearl
Associated Press

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Groups claiming to hold Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl issued conflicting messages regarding his fate.
A caller purporting to represent his kidnappers telephoned the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, on Friday and demanded $2 million and the release of the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, senior police officials said.
However, CNN said it received an e-mail from those claiming to hold the Journal correspondent, saying he had been killed. CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson said "We did receive an e-mail reporting that Daniel Pearl was killed."
The network reported that the State Department hasn't confirmed that the e-mail is authentic.
Steve Goldstein, a spokesman for Dow Jones & Co., which publishes the Wall Street Journal, said, "We've seen the latest reports, and we remain hopeful they are not true."
Pakistani police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the caller gave the U.S. 36 hours to meet the demand for money and the freeing of the envoy, Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, who was arrested in Pakistan and handed over to U.S. authorities.
The officials said police believe the call may be genuine. A demand for Mullah Zaaef's release also was made in an e-mail sent Sunday by those claiming to hold Mr. Pearl.
Officials at the consulate in Karachi weren't available. An official at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad declined to confirm or deny the report.
President Bush vowed earlier Friday to pursue any clue that could lead to the rescue the reporter, a day after a deadline on the reporter's life was extended. "We are working with the Pakistan government to chase down any leads possible -- for example, trying to follow the trail of the e-mails that have been sent, with the sole purpose of saving this man, of finding him and rescuing" him, Mr. Bush said during a White House appearance with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
It was impossible to determine whether an unsigned e-mail, received by Western and Pakistani media on Thursday, was actually sent by the kidnappers. The 38-year-old reporter was abducted Jan. 23 in Karachi.
Speaking Thursday in Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell ruled out bending to the group's demands that prisoners from the Afghan campaign be returned. "The demands that the kidnappers have placed are not demands that we can either deal with or get into a negotiation about," he said.
An unsigned e-mail Wednesday accused Mr. Pearl of working for the Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, and set a 24-hour deadline for killing him. Israel has denied the claim.

An unsigned e-mail Wednesday accused Mr. Pearl of working for the Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, and set a 24-hour deadline for killing him. Israel has denied the claim.

They just accused him of this to stir up hatred.

Thanks for that WSJ post!