Al-Qaida in Pakistan released a video on Dec. 25 in which Warren Weinstein, a captive U.S. government contractor, asks the Obama administration to negotiate with his captors.
The video of the former Peace Corps and USAID official was sent to journalists and news services in Pakistan, where the 72-year-old was abducted two years ago.
Weinstein, 72, asks President Barack Obama to release al-Qaida terrorists in exchange for his release, according to the Washington Post. “You are now in your second term as president of the United States and that means that you can take hard decisions without worrying about re-election,” he said.
A link to a photo of a handwritten note also was sent to journalists. The testimonial letter is dated Oct. 3, 2013; it is not known when the video was filmed.
Weinstein, of Rockville, Md., was kidnapped in August 2011 while working for J.E. Austin Associates, a private company that advises Pakistani businesses.
The State Department did not receive a copy of the video but was provided with one by the Post. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said that U.S. officials are working hard to authenticate the message. She reiterated the government’s call for Weinstein’s release.
The United States has said it will not negotiate with al-Qaida, which the United States considers a terrorist organization. — jta