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New Threat Issued Against U.S. Reporter
Wednesday, January 30, 2002
MSNBC News Services
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

A photo sent to news organizations purporting to show Wall Street Journal South Asia bureau chief Daniel Pearl being held as a hostage in Pakistan.
Photo Credit: NBC News.

Alleged kidnappers reportedly threaten to execute Daniel Pearl in 24 hours

A week after U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl went missing in Karachi, his alleged captors sent a chilling e-mail to news organizations on Wednesday, threatening to execute the Wall Street Journal reporter within 24 hours and warning all other American journalists to leave Pakistan within three days.

There was no way to authenticate the latest threat, which was sent via e-mail to both Western and Pakistani news organizations.

The e-mail claimed that Pearl, the Journal’s South Asian bureau chief who disappeared a week ago in Karachi, was an agent for the Israeli intelligence service, the Mossad.

“Therefore we will execute him within 24 hours unless Amreeka (America) fulfills our demands,” said the e-mail. The message also criticized the United States for not providing lawyers and trials for Pakistanis detained on terrorism-related charges.

The e-mail accused U.S. journalists of working for intelligence agencies and warned “all Amreekan journalists” working in Pakistan to leave the country within three days.

“Anyone remaining after that will be targeted,” it said.
(More: MSNBC News Source)
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