Al-Qaeda Abducted American Sends New Video Plea

Al-Qaeda Abducted American Sends New Video Plea

Warren Weinstein, a 72-year-old American kidnapped by al-Qaeda members in Pakistan back in 2011, has released a new video plea this Thursday, asking President Barack Obama to help negotiate his release. In the video, Warren Weinstein says he feels abandoned and forgotten by his government.

Weinstein was the country director in Pakistan for J.E. Austin Associates, a firm that advises both Pakistani businesses as well as certain sectors of the Pakistani government. He was abducted from his home in Lahore, a city situated in the eastern part of Pakistan back in August 2011. This new video is the first sign of contact since two other videos were released back in September 2012.

During this Thursday’s 13 minute long video, Weinstein said that even though he came to Pakistan 9 years ago to help his government, at a time most Americans wouldn't he now feels abandoned and forgotten by it. He ended the video by asking President Obama to “instruct the appropriate officials” and negotiate his release.

The al-Qaeda organization that holds Weinstein captive said that he will be released if the United States government will immediately halt all airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen and release all al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects of terrorism across the world.

Posted by James Fried on Saturday December 28 2013, 4:12 AM EST. Ref: USA Today. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0