The Washington Post today reports today on a new investigation by Georgetown faculty and students and the Center for Public Integrity about the murder of Daniel Pearl. The investigation produced a lengthy report concluding, among other things, that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was telling the truth when he boasted at his CSRT hearing of “decapitat[ing] with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew, Daniel Pearl.” This is hardly surprising, though many people have doubted it both because KSM seemed to claim credit for just about everything at his CSRT and because he had been waterboarded previously. I personally never saw much reason to doubt KSM’s word on the point. I have not read this report, but on a quick glance, it looks thorough and serious; I pass along its “key findings” for readers who might be interested:
KEY FINDINGS
The Daniel Pearl case is a window into several serious issues that have relevance today to U.S. foreign policy and America’s war in Afghanistan: the emergence of a “Punjabi Taliban,” made up of militants from the Pakistani province of Punjab; the role of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, as a safe haven for militants; and the nexus between the Pakistani militancy and Al Qaeda. The case also offers important lessons related to problems with rule of law in Pakistan. Among the project’s more specific findings:
