Who Killed Daniel Pearl?

I read the book in French and what struck me in BHL's book is how he mixes facts with and fiction. In parts of his book he tries to imagine what may have happened where we do not have facts.

His praise and support for the Northern Alliance, Israel and India and open criticism of Pakistan makes his objectivity on the topic questionable. His description of Karachi airport is not at all what I have observed when I landed there.

At the same time his detailed description of Mohammed Sheik (mastermind of Daniel Pearl's murder) and Daniel Pearl's personalities as well as the detailed descriptions of the people BHL met and locations he visited makes the book interesting reading.


A brilliant investigation, an eye opener, shocking but true   December 6, 2004
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Bernard-Henri Levy is a respected French author and this book just goes on to prove his excellent investigator skills as well his poise for writing.

This book is a not just a tribute to the heroic Daniel Pearl, but rather a far more deeper look at the realm of international terrorism, its tentacles spreading to the highest office in some countries. This book is more a message to the Western society to take a look at what goes on in the terrorist homeground, how they operate, what makes them tick, what makes them so dangerous, and perhaps is also a call to the civilised world to realise the danger that these rogue states represent.

A great book that one cannot put down, I would call it a great thriller or a great crime book, but that would be a disgrace to the author and his subject......... as both unfortunately and tragically, the events in this book are true and makes one reflect on the barbarism that exists in our so called 'civilised' world. It reflects the new voilent Islam that some states have chosen to propagate and the book delves into how this voilent motivation and physcology is inflamed by some states, it depicts the real life dangers, the realistic dirty-bomb nuclear threat, the fact that these organisations are thriving on finances and support from goverments, from the highest offices in a country, and the tragic fact that a young, inspired journalist gave his life for, in the most violent way, in pursuit of making this nexus (the jihad, the supposedly holy battle, the rogue states, the international network spreading from North Korea to Pakistan to Dubai to US, the involvement of the security agencies, the army, the president's office, the schools in London & Karachi, the mosques in US and Peshawar, the prisons in India) public to the free world.

Daniel Pearl gave his life to true, honest, brave journalism and Bernard-Henri Levy has paid the ultimate tribute to Daniel by writing this book.


A story more complex than it seems   February 22, 2004
Andrew Howell (Birmingham, UK)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Daniel Pearl was kidnapped by a gang led by a man who was an English educated muslim, a mild mannered young man who succeeded in winning a place at the London School of Economics. So, how did this gentle English muslim end up as a key figure in a kidnapping and violent murder?

Here Levy tells several stories in a compelling manner. First, we have the story of Omar Sheikh and his journey from London student to fundamental isalmist. We also learn about the connections of the fundamentalist islamist world with Pakistani politics and the the merging and shady world of Al Quidah. Finally we have the giste of the story that Pearl was well of the trail of,

This is an important book for out times which helps us understand the world of fundamental islam and the path that young people take on their way to becoming players in the world of international terrorism.


The Heart of Terror?   November 5, 2003
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I find it sad that people cannot put aside their own prejudices when reviewing a book such as this - one that attacks the very notion of prejudice which resulted in the murder of Daniel Pearl.

This book is truly terrifying in both what it depicts and what it suggests about the idiocy of the current 'War on Terror'. You follow Levy into what appears to be the true heart of global terror at this point in time - Pakistan.

The evidence he cites has been reported across a host of reputable papers - to name a few: The Times, Time, Newsweek, WSJ, International Herald Tribune, NY Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, LA Times, Le Monde and Republica - yet never collated in one source. This is the evidence that suggests that the Pakistani state has systematically colluded with Islamist terror groups to not just create the Taliban and Al Queda, but also to plan attacks of mass destruction of which 9/11 was just the prelude. When a nuclear blast occurs in a 'infidel' city, this book suggests the ulitmate source will not be some hidden weapons dump in Iraq but the product of the active collusion of elements of the Pakistani military and inteliigence.

Levy is brave and he is honest - even where he places himself in the shoes of Daniel Pearl or his chief murderer, he admits that this is hypothesis. Yet as he acknowledges throughtout, this is an investigation and you place yourself in the mind of the protagonists.

Read this book and judge for yourself where the true 'axis of evil' lies and just how much of a 'friend' Pakistan is to those states threatened by the new facism.