New threat to kill kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter issued

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- The Wall Street Journal appealed Thursday to the kidnappers of journalist Daniel Pearl to spare his life after an e-mail purportedly sent by the abductors threatened to kill him within 24 hours.

The e-mail also warned American journalists to leave Pakistan within three days or "be targeted."

"Killing Danny will achieve nothing for you," Journal managing editor Paul Steiger said in a return e-mail to the kidnappers. "His murder would be condemned by the entire world, and your group would be viewed as murderers without serious political objectives."

Pearl was trying to arrange an interview with a Muslim cleric, Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani, when he disappeared Jan. 23 in Karachi. The heretofore unknown National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty demands that Pakistanis held by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, be returned here for trial.

The e-mail included pictures of Pearl with a pistol pointed to his head.

A second e-mail sent Wednesday alleged that Pearl was working for the Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad. "Therefore, we will execute him within 24 hours unless Amreeka (America) fulfills our demands," the threatening e-mail said.

It accused U.S. journalists of working for intelligence agencies and warned "all Amreekan journalists" to leave Pakistan within three days.