MILLER: Why did you write this book?
PEARL: People had supported us so much and I wanted them to know what happened. You hear about the FBI and what it does. But these are real people, some of them Muslim, and they are real heroes. And, of course, for Adam. I just wanted him to know the truth, who his father really was and our story together. My hope was to convey my defiance to those terrorists so that he can pick it up, he can understand what happened in my mind and I think it is something that happened in Danny’s mind. That’s my belief. At some point he knew he was going to lose his life but he still defied them.
Are you satisfied with the progress of the Pakistani investigation into Danny’s murder?
No. Omar Sheikh [who organized the kidnapping] was convicted, but it doesn’t take much to convict Omar Sheikh. The fact that he is sentenced to death doesn’t mean he is going to die. Definitely not. We know that he is very protected within the country. And Omar Sheikh is not the only one involved. There are all the people that were in the house with Danny and then there are the three people who came the last day and killed him.
Do we know who the three people are?
We don’t know. They were supposed to be Yemenis, Arabic speakers.
Do you want Omar Sheikh to die?
I think he deserves to die and that he should die. He is a psycho. If he is let out he will do the same thing again. But the truth is, I know that his death won’t solve the problem.
Do you agree with Bernard-Henri Levy’s thesis that Danny was killed because he was close to uncovering serious links between elements of the Pakistani government and terrorists in Al Qaeda?
I want to be careful here because these are just theories. But of the involvement of the [Pakistani intelligence service] ISI [in supporting terrorists], there is no doubt.
Do you think the kidnappers’ intent was always to kill Danny?
I don’t know. At some point there was a phone call saying we have this guy in custody and he’s American, but we took his Palm Pilot and there’s an address in Israel and he’s a Jew. What do we do with him? The answer came one or two days later: “OK, we’re sending other people to take care of him,” and they send the three Yemenis.
What’s next for you?
Writing the book was difficult because I was going back to hell. But finishing it is also very difficult because I miss Danny more. When I was writing I was with him, living with him, and when I finished writing he wasn’t here anymore. So it’s scary. But I have to deal with it. I want to pursue my work as a journalist.
How much of Danny do you see in Adam?
He actually has a lot of his character. He’s very at ease. He’s very self-confident, which Danny was. And he’s very silly, which Danny was [laughs]. He has a good sense of humor, loves music. I’m trying not to project so much, but it seems to me he will have this easygoing approach to the world… I really feel Danny’s death should not hijack Adam’s life. Danny loved life and he would hate that.
