A Western journalist who viewed the videotape showing the murder of U-S reporter Daniel Pearl confirms it contains some of the gruesome scenes reported by U-S and Pakistani officials.
Connie Chung of C-N-N television says it contains about 50 seconds of graphic violence against Mr. Pearl. She declined to describe the scenes out of respect to Mr. Pearl's family.
Earlier reports said the tape shows a hand decapitating or slicing open the throat of the kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter.
Ms. Chung saw an edited copy of the videotape in Karachi, Pakistan on Tuesday. The original tape was sent over a week ago to Pakistani authorities, who turned it over to U-S officials.
Ms. Chung says that Mr. Pearl, as reported, says that he and his family are Jewish. She reports that later, Mr. Pearl is shown saying Americans can not be safe as long as certain U-S government policies continue, such as unconditional support for Israel. She says Mr. Pearl appears to be making the statements under duress. Ms. Chung says the tape ends with a list of demands from the National Movement For the Restoration of Pakistan's Sovereignty -- the group that claimed responsibility for Mr. Pearl's kidnapping in January.
According to Ms. Chung, the demands include the release of Pakistanis being held at the U-S naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and an end to the U-S military presence in Pakistan.
She says the tape ends with a threat that more Americans will be killed if the group's demands are not met.