Kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter confirmed dead

[RocksMillenium]

Just to add, now they are saying they have a videotape that confirms he is dead. Just sad news. I wish reporters would stay out of dangerous situations like this, I don't want the news this badly :(:

http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,46232,00.html

<b>NEW YORK — Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was taken hostage by Islamic extremists in Pakistan, is now believed to be dead, the newspaper said Thursday.</b>


<i>"We now believe, based on reports from the U.S. State Department and police officials of the Pakistani province of Sind, that Danny Pearl was killed by his captors. We are heartbroken at his death," Peter Kann, publisher of the Journal, said in a statement.

"Danny was an outstanding colleague, a great reporter, and a dear friend of many at the Journal," Kann said. "His murder is an act of barbarism that makes a mockery of everything Danny's kidnappers claimed to believe in. They claimed to be Pakistani nationalists, but their actions must surely bring shame to all true Pakistani patriots."

Pearl was abducted in the port city of Karachi on Jan. 23 after arranging to interview the leader of a radical Muslim faction with purported ties to the Al Qaeda terrorist network and terror suspect Richard C. Reid, arrested in December on a Paris-Miami flight he allegedly boarded with explosives in his shoes.

The statement, signed by Kann and Journal Managing Editor Paul Steiger, said, "We will, in coming months, find ways, public and private, to celebrate the great work and good works Danny did. But today is a day to grieve.

"This loss is, of course, most painful for Danny's family, in this country and elsewhere. We ask our colleagues in the press to respect their privacy, and to permit them to grieve undisturbed."

Pearl reported from the United States, Europe and Asia in a 12-year career with the financial daily. Based in Bombay, India, for the past year as the Journal's bureau chief for South Asia,ism in neighboring Afghanistan.

The Princeton, N.J., native had worked for newspapers in western Massachusetts and briefly in San Francisco before joining the Journal in Atlanta in 1990. He later reported from Washington, London and Paris — where he wrote about the Middle East — before moving to Asia.

"The Wall Street Journal is a public institution, but the Pearls are private citizens," the Journal statement said. "We hope also that our colleagues, too, will be permitted some time and space to begin the very difficult process of making peace with this profound loss."

Pakistani officials said there were indications that Pearl had been lured into a trap by false information.

In an intensive sweep, Pakistani police seized several suspects, including Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, an Islamic militant who admitted in a court hearing that he had engineered Pearl's abduction to protest Pakistan's alliance with the United States' post-Sept. 11 war on terrorism.

"Our country shouldn't be catering to America's needs," Sheikh said.

According to Pakistani authorities, Sheikh, a British-born key figure in an airplane hijacking and hostage incident in 1999, first told them Pearl was alive but later claimed the reporter had been killed in an escape attempt around Jan. 31.</i>

[DAROckets]

It takes a lot of courage to go into these hotbeds and try to bring the people the truth about whats going on...RIP Danny.

[AroundTheWorld]

This is terrible. It makes me sad and angry.

[gr8-1]

Pearl had more courage in his pinkie finger than all of his captors combined.

Is this act unprecedented? I hope we respond with avengeance.


RIP Danny.

[BobFinn*]

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

[treeman]

Reporters die in warzones all the time (and Pakistan is a warzone for Westerners, whether you realize it or not), but usually when they are kidnapped and/or murdered, it is about money.

This was just senseless murder. Someone had better pay for this... His wife is pregnant, too. Add another kid who will never know his dad to the list in this war. :mad:

[MadMax]

Originally posted by BobFinn*
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

i have to say, i don't want to live anywhere where i don't feel passionate about anything enough to say, "yeah, i'd die for that."

[BobFinn*]

Originally posted by MadMax


i have to say, i don't want to live anywhere where i don't feel passionate about anything enough to say, "yeah, i'd die for that."

But can you just imagine what it would be like? It only takes a few minutes. Just sit back and Imagine.

[treeman]

They are now saying that they actually taped his execution. What a bunch of bloodthirsty morons... If that tape gets out (and it will), then the only purpose it will serve is to infuriate the entire non-Islamic world... What a bunch of idiots.

Q8 and boy must be happy, though - one less Jew for them to have to kill...

[RocksMillenium]

I'm just waiting for some ghoul to come on here and post that the U.S. had something to do with this. If these monsters were "driven" to this by the U.S., why did they kill the guy instead of truly bargain? These monsters and anybody connected to them have a bullet with their name on it.

[boy]

Originally posted by treeman
Q8 and boy must be happy, though - one less Jew for them to have to kill...

Enlighten me on where I've said that I'd like to kill Jews or any death makes me happy?

Infact from what I know he was pretty "Pro-Muslim" and gave a pretty fair picture of the situations.

I have nothing but prayers for his family.

[treeman]

boy:

Unlike Q8, you have not come out and said that you're gleeful about the prospect of Israel being destroyed and the Jews massacred, but you have repeatedly expressed your support for Hamas, Hizbollah, and Iran - three entities who seek the destruction of Israel and the murder of the Jews with a passion.

You've just been smart enough to keep your tone down to a level where you don't draw too much attention... But your sentiments are clear to anyone with a brain.

BTW, if he wasn't "Pro-Muslim", as you put it, then would you still be praying for his family? Just curious.

[boy]

My opinion about Iran is shared by most of the members of the UN.

I believe Hizbullah, today, is an army that protected Lebanon when Lebanon had no military.

I believe Hamas is a reaction to what the Israelis have done to Palestinians. I don't agree with suicide bombings on people in malls. I don't believe those bombings help much. However I think you're being naive if you just lable them as psycho-terrorists who love killing people. I think there are reasons for why they do this. Until we start paying attention, we'll get no where.

His child will never get to see the father. That is why I would pray for them. His parents will never get to see their son. His wife won't see her husband.

I usually say what I truly believe. I don't 'word things just right' so no one can accuse me of being anti-semetic. I think Israeli Zionism is a grotesque ideology that shows its face in cases like what occured in Qana in 96. However I myself know a Jew who considers himself a Zionist but also wants a state of Palestine with pretty much every thing I would like it to have. I see websites like Gush-Shalom which give me hope for a peaceful solution. There are hundreds of Israeli peace groups that work to help the Palestinians. There are even Israeli Rabbis who go infront of bulldozers to save homes. I'm highly offended at the notion that I would like all Jews to die and that I would be happy at the murder of a reporter on video tape.

[treeman]

boy:

My opinion about Iran is shared by most of the members of the UN.

What, that Iran is a great democracy? Please. Everyone with a brain knows that their 'democracy' is a sham, and that the mullahs run everything there.

And BTW, one of their stated goals has been for 23 years and counting to see Israel destroyed. Are you going to sit here and tell me that isn't so?

I believe Hizbullah, today, is an army that protected Lebanon when Lebanon had no military.

Lebanon has had a military for a long time - Hizbollah has just tried to supplant it. And if Hizbollah was just "protecting" Lebanon, then why is it sending operatives into the occupied territories to train Arafat's goons and the Hamas? And why is it still throwing rockets over the border into Israel on a daily basis, when the IDF has already withdrawn?

Hizbollah's goal is to destroy Israel. The Iranians - who are funding, training, and supplying them - couldn't care less about "protecting" Lebanon.

I believe Hamas is a reaction to what the Israelis have done to Palestinians. I don't agree with suicide bombings on people in malls. I don't believe those bombings help much. However I think you're being naive if you just lable them as psycho-terrorists who love killing people. I think there are reasons for why they do this. Until we start paying attention, we'll get no where.

Yes, I know that you think they're "freedom fighters". Doesn't matter that they're blowing up babies and shooting senior citizens left and right - their tactics are regrettable, but their goal is admirable, right boy?

Their stated goal is to destroy Israel. Not to create a Palestinian state. Not to end the settlements or occupation. It is to destroy Israel. And you support them.

I'm highly offended at the notion that I would like all Jews to die and that I would be happy at the murder of a reporter on video tape.

If you're so goddamn offended by it, then why do you support at least three groups who have as their stated goals the destruction of Israel???

Needless to say, I do not believe you.

[boy]

If I say the sky is blue will you believe me?

[treeman]

Yes. Unless it's raining, or unless it's nighttime.

[DaDakota]

I pray for this man's family, and for his captors to be strung up and hung in front of the world.

DaDakota

[Ottomaton]

I think that the greatest statement to what a bunch of out-of-touch-with-reality whackos these guys are is the whacked out ransom demands that these idiots made when they first abducted him.

Would you want to place your faith in the judgement of these idiots who thought Pearl'd get them:

1.) The sale of F-16 to Pakastan which were suspended because they were Pakistan's primary nuclear delivery vehicle.

2.) $2 Million dollars.

3.) The prisoners in Cuba to be released.

and

4.) The release of the Taliban ambasador to Pakistan.


Question:

Given the displayed lack of ability to judge things like 'fair value' for Mr. Pearl, do you not begin to question these whackos ability to make reasonable assessments of other things? For instance, their support of the Taliban, their opium-addled world view and their general belief that god wants them to kill people?

[treeman]

Ottomaton:

They did it to undermine Musharaf.

[Cohen]

Very Sad.

Prayers.

[Ottomaton]

Originally posted by treeman
Ottomaton:

They did it to undermine Musharaf.

I would imagine that it didn't work to well? As I interpret this, if I were the US gov't, I be more intrested in ensuring his stability, as the options seem unpalatable, despite a stratigic intrest in demonizing Pakistan to cozy up to India, to block China.

And, from what I understand, the general idea is that Musharaf is going to stay in power as long as he recieves support from the Army, who'll support him as long as he's making the country more powerful, which cozying up to the US would accomplish.

I hate to say it but I'd also, were I the US, back off of that 'free, democratic elections' thing that they were pushing for next year. Of course, I still give it lip service, as promoting democracy's a good goal, but I'd imagine that giving the vote to the Pakistani people might be a bit like giving the vote to all people under 10 years old in the US -- we'd end up with someone like Barney as president, and they'd end up with the tall, one-eyed Afghan Talaban dude.

I'd also that the more Pakistani cozys up to the US, the more likely they are to follow a foreign policy that'd enable India to at least tolerate them, given the options.

In otherwords, while I'd imagine that it might undermine him a wee bit with the (completely powerless and innefectual) man on the street, I'd imagine it can only strengthen him otherwise. No?

[Ottomaton]

BTW, I find an intresting parallell that Islamic Americans should pay heed to:

How is killing Daniel Pearl simply because he's American, same as the US policy makers, any less onerous than redneck Americans harassing and injuring innocent Muslems, simply because they happen to be of the same religion as Mr. bin Laden?

[treeman]

Ottomaton:

The Pakistani ISI had a hand in this, I'd all but guarantee it. Musharaf has fired several top ISI officials recently at our bidding, and tried to reorganize the whole outfit, but... Its ties to Islamic extremist organizations are veryextensive. They are fighting back.

This is the organization that created the Taliban in Afghanistan, BTW.

The idea is to challenge Musharaf's capacity to reign in the more extreme elements of Pakistani government and society - something he's actually been trying to do without provoking a confrontation. They are trying to provoke that confrontation by forcing us to lay a heavier hand on Musharaf and say "you must do more". Of course, if Musharaf does more, then it might spark a widespread uprising against his control (and secular control in general)...

He might lose control of the Pak Army. And if that happens, the extremists will gain control of Pakistan (and its nukes).

I'm interested in seeing how much pressure we apply to Musharaf over this. As you imply, we do not want to see him replaced, as the alternatives at this juncture would be far, far worse... While I and every other American wants to see a bit of revenge for Perle's death, we would do well to not add any fuel to the fire in this situation. Musharaf must stay in power for the time being.

[AB]

There is no reason in the world that can justify such a killing.
My prayers for the family of Mr.Pearl.
I hope the guilty are brought to justice.

[ROCKSS]

+
My prayers go out to his wife and family

[subtomic]

Originally posted by MadMax
i have to say, i don't want to live anywhere where i don't feel passionate about anything enough to say, "yeah, i'd die for that."

But wouldn't it be a better world if people lived for their passions, instead of dying for them?

[RocksMillenium]

Originally posted by boy:
<b>Infact from what I know he was pretty "Pro-Muslim" and gave a pretty fair picture of the situations.
</b>

What he being pro or anti Muslim have to do with him being killed?

[glynch]

It is very sad to hear about this. The guy's politics are irrelevant. I personally had never heard of him.

It is very unfortunate that Treeman tried to turn the thread into an attack on boy and Q8.

As far as I know there was no allegation of spying. I did, however, see an article somewhere that mentioned that the CIA should be forbidden by law from using journalists and clerics as cover for spying. Some Journalist Association was pushing for this as an additional protection for journalists. I believe the article was in the Chronicle.

[treeman]

glynch:

You've never heard of him? He's been all over the news for weeks now... You're just learning of this? Put down your communist Manifesto copy and turn on the TV for a change.

"Tried to turn this into an attack on boy and Q8"? Their attitudes and beliefs are what really caused this (along with the war in general). There's a reason I jump on them at every opportunity: they're terrorism supporters. You are too, by proxy.

If anything, your effort to make this a knock against me is despicable. Why don't you just stick to the issues, and call off the mindless slander?

Your last paragraph made no sense.

[treeman]

BTW, and not that it's really relevant, but apparently Pearl was killed on the 31st of January. He was told that he would be allowed a taped interview with a terrorist operative; while he was talking to the terrorist, another came up behind him, grabbed his hair, pulled his head back, and proceeded to cut his throat with a knife. At that point, several other people with knived proceeded to cut his head off with other knives - a collective effort, apparently.

This was all apparently caught on film. It was sent to a FBI point in Pakistan, and was forwarded to a State Dept. office, which is how they knew for sure he was dead...

Words can't even begin to describe the horror... So gruesome. And to think that one day this guy's kid will get to look at a flick of his dad's head getting sawed off...

Someone must pay for this. :mad:

[Rocketman95]

Originally posted by treeman
If anything, your effort to make this a knock against me is despicable. Why don't you just stick to the issues, and call off the mindless slander?


But saying someone is a supporter of terrorism by proxy isn't despicable or mindless slander?

:rolleyes:

[treeman]

Not if true, Rm95.

If you are still equivocating at this point - much less trying to defend the opposition - then I'm inclined to think that you actually want the terrorists to succeed. You either fight them, or you are supporting them. They are counting on you to not be able to make up your mind.

If you don't recognize evil when it's staring you in the face, then you are probably just a little bit evil yourself.

[Rocketman95]

But I think anybody with a brain should know that glynch doesn't support terrorism in anyway. Maybe I'm speaking too much for him, but I've never read anything that would lead me to believe that.

Regardless, you're not "sticking with the issues" either by calling him a supporter of terrorism.

[Major]

<B>Not if true, Rm95. </B>

Has glynch stated he's a communist somewhere?

<B>If you are still equivocating at this point - much less trying to defend the opposition - then I'm inclined to think that you actually want the terrorists to succeed. </B>

You know, these are the kinds of mindless comments you expect from people can't make a reasonable argument. I would think with your background in this field, you would be able to stick with more factual analysis. "If you disagree with me, you're a terrorist supporter!" Grow up. :rolleyes:

Maybe -- just maybe -- there is more than one solution to this. I believe the military solution is the way to go, but that doesn't mean there aren't others. Maybe the military solution is even the wrong choice, who knows -- it's been wrong plenty of times before, even when our national security has been threatened (see Cuban Missile Crisis). To dismiss other people as communists or terrorist supporters because their viewpoints differ from yours is childish, asinine, and doesn't really help your cause a whole lot.

[treeman]

Rm95 & Major:

Look, I don't know if glynch actually supports terrorism, but it's a bit odd that every single argument he makes works in the terrorists' interests.

Don't attack Afghanistan. Work witrh international courts to arrest Osama. Riiiight. End result: Al Qaeda and the Taliban survive in Afghanistan.

Remove support from Israel. Sure. Let the suicide bombers attack them indefinitely, and remove our only leverage over the Israelis. End result: WWIII, the Israelis/West against Islam. Nuclear war.

Don't attack Iraq and remove Saddam's regime. Let him keep his WMD, and let him keep supporting terrorists worldwide. End result: Saddam takes over the ME, and his WMD end up being used in Western cities.

Leave Iran alone, and let the mullahs stay there. Don't worry about their WMD or their terrorism support infrastructure, which makes Al Qaeda look like a choir boy outfit. End result: WMD used in Israel and the US - nuclear war again.

Whether he realizes it or not, he is arguing the terrorists' side. And BTW, he just tried to use this post to slander me; there's no question that Q8 and boy are terrorism supporters, as they actually support Iran's mullahs, Hamas, and Hizbollah. I will continue to point that out.

BTW, Major - for the hundredth time, I do not support a military course of action in every situation, so please stop implying that I do. I am getting tired of it. How would you like it if I continually insinuated that you always support a military solution because you just stated that you support it in this case?

[Prempeh]

Look, I don't know if glynch actually supports terrorism, but it's a bit odd that every single argument he makes works in the terrorists' interests.

But treeman, it seems like every argument you make leans pretty far right, and I don't think you would even argue with that...glynch's views are what puts him on the left, and yours puts you on the other side...

I don't think those arguments of his you laid out are fair, being that you don't KNOW (although I am sure you think you do...hell you might be right, I really don't know either way) that you would have been right about all those outcomes that would have helped out terrorist causes.

Another thing--you always seem to insinuate whenever you can that people on the other side of your arguments are communists...what's with that? Is the idea of communism evil to you, so you use it as an insult?

So if I'm a liberal, or I'm a communist, I'm a terrorist??? Very narrow-minded if you ask me, but this shouldn't surprise me, you FASCIST :D

[treeman]

Prempeh:

When are you dodos going to understand that as far as this war goes leftist or rightist idology should not matter a bit???

I have shown repeatedly that I am not nearly as far to the right as those of you who only read a few of my posts seem to believe. At the very most, I could be called a "centrist". I am admittedly to the right of many here on defense issues, because I simply find the idea of not defending yourself ridiculous -and I actually realize that we live in a dangerous world. Some of you still don't seem to get that... I wonder how many more buildings have to get knocked down for people like yourself to realize that?

I have not called anyone here except for boy and Q8 terrorist supporters, and I said that glynch - whether he realizes it or not - argues the terrorists' side.

I also do not think that everyone on the left is a communists - only glynch. Do you think everyone to your right is a fascist?

[TheFreak]

But treeman, it seems like every argument you make leans pretty far right, and I don't think you would even argue with that...glynch's views are what puts him on the left, and yours puts you on the other side...


I guess 88 percent of the country is on the far right...

[boy]

Originally posted by treeman
I have not called anyone here except for boy and Q8 terrorist supporters,

I think your an anti-Muslim/Arab racist who wants to see lil Iraqi and Palestinian kids be killed by hunger and thirst.

You support sanctions which have killed over 600,000 thousand Iraqi kids by now (UNESCO numbers) and you think Sharon is right in butchering kids by machine guns.

You support oppressing dictatorships in Egypt and the Shah of Iran back in the day. You also support cruel military dictatorships in Algeria, Turkey and Pakistan. Your not only anti Arab but also anti Democratic.

[Mango]

Originally posted by boy

........... Your not only anti Arab but also anti Democratic.

What you call <i>democracy</i> in Iran is not democracy.


Mango