<

Fate of Kidnapped Reporter Unclear
Friday, February 1, 2002
(23:29 ET)
By Zahid Hussain
Associated Press Writer

President Bush takes a question from the media, in the Oval Office at the White House Friday, Feb. 1, as King Abdullah II of Jordan listens. During the meeting Bush told reporters his administration will "chase down any leads" that may lead to the rescue of kidnapped reporter Daniel Pearl, including e-mails purportedly sent by his captors.
Photo Credit:
Hillery Smith Garrison -- The Associated Press.

Pakistani authorities have said Pearl was most likely being held by a radical Muslim faction -- Harkat ul-Mujahedeen -- linked to al-Qaida.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- AP
Police in Karachi said they had searched 300 cemeteries by Saturday morning but did not find the body of reporter Daniel Pearl. A day earlier there were conflicting reports that he had been killed or that his kidnappers issued a ransom demand.

On Friday a caller contacted the U.S. Consulate in Karachi and demanded $2 million and the release of the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, senior police officials said.

A Justice Department official subsequently said the telephone call may have been a hoax.

"We haven't reached any conclusions officially, but it looks like the call may have been a hoax," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal's South Asia bureau chief, is shown in this undated photo made available Sunday, Jan. 27, 2002.
Photo Credit: The Associated Press.

However, CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson said it received an e-mail claiming the Wall Street Journal correspondent had been killed. CNN said the e-mail added that the unidentified group was "thirsty for the blood of another American." Fox News said it also received the e-mail.

Dow Jones, which owns the Journal, said in a statement Friday, "We've seen the latest reports, and we remain hopeful they are not true."
(More: AP.org News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan