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US Now Convinced: KSM Killed Pearl
Al Qaeda Chief Tied to MurderU.S. Says 9/11 Planner Killed Wall Street Journalâs Pearl By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, October 22, 2003 EFL and Fair Use U.S. investigators have concluded that Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was slain by Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the senior al Qaeda leader believed to be the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, sources familiar with the case said yesterday. Although Mohammed has long been suspected of playing a direct role in Pearlâs kidnapping and death -- and was named by two Pakistani defendants as the actual killer more than a year ago -- U.S. officials said previously that they did not have enough evidence to confirm those allegations. But two U.S. officials said yesterday that new information obtained in recent months has confirmed that Mohammed slit the reporterâs throat with a knife in January 2002. Mohammed was captured in March at a safe house in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and has since been held and interrogated by U.S. forces at an undisclosed location. "It is true that the U.S. government now believes that KSM was responsible for Pearlâs death," said one U.S. official, referring to the common shorthand used to identify Mohammed. "Before, we simply didnât know, but we have now moved towards thinking that we do. Our view on the likelihood that he did it has certainly hardened." The official declined to comment on what evidence led to the new U.S. view of the case, which was first reported yesterday by the Journal. The conclusion adds a new element to the portrait of Mohammed. An ethnic Pakistani, he has been identified as one of Osama bin Ladenâs closest aides, but was previously viewed primarily as an organizer and coordinator of large-scale terrorist attacks. -- More -- © 2003 The Washington Post Company Confirmation. I hope our guys havenât been wearing gloves with this scumbag... certainly, they should take them off, now - he is forfeit. Posted by: .com 2003-10-22 |
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