New threat to kill kidnapped Wal Street Journal reporter

Associated Press WriterISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- An e-mail purportedly sent Wednesday by kidnappers holding Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl threatened to kill him within 24 hours. It also warned American journalists to leave the country within three days.

There was no way to authenticate the e-mail, which was sent to both Western and Pakistani news organizations.

The e-mail claimed that Pearl, who disappeared a week ago in Karachi, was an agent for the Israeli intelligence service, the Mossad.

"Therefore we will execute him within 24 hours unless Amreeka (America) fulfills our demands," said the e-mail, issued in the name of the National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty, the same group that in earlier e-mails claimed to have abducted Pearl.

The e-mail criticized the United States for not providing lawyers and trials for Pakistanis detained on terrorism-related charges.

The e-mail accused U.S. journalists of working for intelligence agencies and warned "all Amreekan journalists" working in Pakistan to leave the country within three days.

"Anyone remaining after that will be targeted," it said.

In a statement, The Wall Street Journal denied that Pearl was an agent of any government. "He is a reporter for us -- nothing more or less," the statement said. "He cannot affect the policy of the U.S. or Pakistani government. Nor can we."

The newspaper, which is owned by Dow Jones, also called for the reporter's release, saying: "Nothing will be served by continuing to hold him. Killing or harming Danny would only discredit the cause of the people holding him."