May 7th, 2012
02:37 AM ET

U.S. citizen abducted in Pakistan asks Obama to meet Qaeda demands

A 70-year-old U.S. citizen kidnapped in Pakistan last year has made an emotional plea to President Barack Obama to meet al Qaeda's demands in order to save his life, according to a video released on several Islamist websites Sunday.

"My life is in your hands, Mr. President," Warren Weinstein said in the video. "If you accept the demands, I live. If you don't accept the demands, then I die."

Weinstein, a development consultant, was abducted in August from his home in the city of Lahore. In December, al Qaeda claimed responsibility for his capture.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of the terror network, listed eight demands that he said, if met, would result in Weinstein's release. The demands related to issues in the Middle East, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia.

"It is important that you accept these demands and act quickly and don't delay," Weinstein said in the video posted Sunday. He made references to Obama's daughters and to his own children.

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Filed under: Al Qaeda • Pakistan • Terrorism
soundoff (19 Responses)
  1. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    Obama has to say no to terrorists' demands.

    May 7, 2012 at 3:01 am | Report abuse |
    • Spock

      Its only logical

      May 7, 2012 at 3:18 am | Report abuse |
  2. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    THINGS I WISH THAT THEY HAD SAID:
    MR. WEINSTEIN: No, it's better not to work in Pakistan, so I'll find some kind of work in the USA.
    HIS GUARDS: No, we heard about the Trojan horse, even though that's a Western-civilisation story. We're doing security work, so you can't come in here. Thank you for offering us the food. Praise Allah!
    AL-ZAWAHIRI: I convert to Christianity: it's safer. Praise Jesus!

    May 7, 2012 at 3:30 am | Report abuse |
  3. hamsta

    sad thing is obama thinks he can negotiate with terrorists.obama is already releasing taliban fighters from guantonomo.he will probably give al qaeda what they want emboldening the enemy.al qaeda will probably torture and kill their hostage any way.obama will then become a laughing stock and lose the election giving romney a chance to school obama in how to deal with terrorists.

    May 7, 2012 at 7:25 am | Report abuse |
    • Middle man

      I have no belief in politics at all (nothin but overpayed bullies) but one thing i can say about obama is he has done more things in these 4 years then bush did in 8( Hey, ima middle class 24yo father of two)! MITT ROMNEY is a DAMN JOKE i mean come on, were better off with the guy that did catch and kill BIN LADEN! IM Just sayin

      May 7, 2012 at 6:46 pm | Report abuse |
  4. SAVIOR

    I feel for the Guy but he as an American knows we don't make deals with terrorist. At this point he needs to soldier up and and not beg for his life and die with dignity. Show the terrorist that even American civilians will not give in to their terrorist ways. A high price has been paid for freedom..do we throw it all away because of a few people that don't agree with our way of life? No we don't..we stand and defend that freedom...even if it means all out war.. now I know you peace activists will argue about that but remember you have the right to do so because of your rights to free speach..rights won in battle..

    May 7, 2012 at 8:50 am | Report abuse |
  5. saywhat

    That is correct @ Savior.
    However we are not averse to making deals with anyone behind the facade where we think it serves us.

    We won this right of speech ourselves by being a nation not easily cowed down by oppression, movements like women' liberty, civil rights won us our rights not battles on the sands of far off lands.
    We can't occupy lands where we do not belong for decades and then blame 'others' for not liking 'our way of life'.

    May 7, 2012 at 9:44 am | Report abuse |
  6. bobcat (in a hat) ©

    I'm truly sorry for Mr. Weinsteins plight, but these demands are unrealistic and cannot be met. As an american citizen in Pakistan, he had to realize the dangers of the situation he put himself into. No one made him go there, so the consequences are of his own making. I know that sounds totally cold, but it is what it is.

    May 7, 2012 at 9:56 am | Report abuse |
  7. Greek American

    @JIF, bobcat
    Very well stated!

    @hamster
    I'd solve your problem with Gitmo, by just sending you there to work as a security officer for your daddy GWB and uncle Cheney. You will be paid in pesos and given a hut to live in.

    May 7, 2012 at 10:44 am | Report abuse |
  8. saywhat

    Today's Washington Post says that US quietly releases Afghan detainees to help peace negotiations " outside of our normal protocol".
    So its not that we don't make deals.
    As for mr.Weinstein my sympathies are with him and his family.

    May 7, 2012 at 10:46 am | Report abuse |
  9. hamsta

    @unamerican greek you can be greek or you can be american but you cant be both. there is no such thing as part american.you are either american or not american but to put another nation in front of america is just as insulting as flying another nations flag above the american flag therefore your opinion is irrellevant. you can take your socialism back to greece now.

    May 7, 2012 at 12:28 pm | Report abuse |
  10. saywhat

    Oh!
    And I always thought that most Americans were Italian or Irish or Dutch and such so why not Greek?

    May 7, 2012 at 12:57 pm | Report abuse |
  11. hamsta

    My ancestors were irish english german and french. you dont see me calling myself irish english german french american. im simply american. doesnt mean im not proud of my heritage, i just never put that in front of being american. to do so would be unamerican.

    May 7, 2012 at 4:46 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Bribarian

    we dont negotiate with terrorists, lots of luck weinstein

    May 7, 2012 at 9:27 pm | Report abuse |
  13. hamsta

    @ middleman you were a child in school at the beginning of this war. i was a working adult at that time. my brother was in all 3 gulf wars. obama is taking all the credit for bushes success. how much do you really know? answer: nothing more than what you have been told. if you are getting your info from cnn trust me that you are misinformed. bush said at the very beginning that there will be things that you will never know about. i think i trust my brother and all of his military buddies when they tell me that obama is undermining their efforts.

    May 7, 2012 at 10:11 pm | Report abuse |
  14. hamsta

    @ middleman the only thing obama did more than bush was spend more money than the previous 6 presidents by name combined. and for what? unemployment was never this high under bush(you wouldnt know that because you were a child in schonl until after obama took office.). welfare spending tripled under the obama administration. gas prices more than doubled under obama.(you might have seen a month long spike as a senior in high school due to katrina.)the only thing obama has to do with getting bin laden was to say ok go ahead with the mission.(bin laden would still be hiding in pakistan had obama closed gitmo and pulled the troops out.) it is bushes strategies and policies that got bin laden.

    May 7, 2012 at 10:44 pm | Report abuse |
  15. hamsta

    so what does being 24 with 2 kids have to do with anything other than the fact that you were a child who was more worried about prom than anything else when all the intell was being gathered?

    May 7, 2012 at 10:48 pm | Report abuse |
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