Al Qaeda: We have US man kidnapped in Pakistan

Warren Weinstein / AP

ISLAMABAD - Al Qaeda claimed responsibility Thursday for the kidnapping of a 70-year-old American aid worker in Pakistan in August, and issued a series of demands for his release.

In a video message posted on militant websites, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri said Warren Weinstein would be released if the United States stopped airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. He also demanded the release of all al Qaeda and Taliban suspects around the world.

"Just as the Americans detain all whom they suspect of links to al Qaeda and the Taliban, even remotely, we detained this man who is neck-deep in American aid to Pakistan since the 1970s," al-Zawahri said, according to a translation provided by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant messages.

Weinstein was abducted before dawn on August 13 after gunmen tricked his guards and broke into his home. Police and U.S. officials have not publicly said who they believed was holding him, but Islamist militant groups were the main suspects.

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Weinstein, who has a home in Rockville, Maryland, worked in Pakistan for several years and spoke Urdu.

He was the country director in Pakistan for J.E. Austin Associates, a U.S.-based firm that advises a range of Pakistani business and government sectors. The company has said Weinstein is in poor health and provided a detailed list of medications, many of them for heart problems, that it implored the kidnappers to give him.

IntelCenter, a private website that monitors terrorism, reports: "The claiming of the kidnapping of American Warren Weinstein by Ayman al-Zawahiri is significant and signals al Qaeda's desire to use the kidnapping to send a very public message. In al Qaeda's entire history such a high-profile claiming of a kidnapping is exceedingly rare. However, it is quite common for al Qaeda's regional arm, al Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in Africa. Al-Zawahiri's claim and demands will most likely be followed with a hostage video showing Weinstein although it is difficult to know when this would be released."

Intelcenter writes that the eight specific demands of al-Zawahiri are: 1) The complete lifting of restrictions on the movement of people and goods between Egypt and Gaza; 2) The cessation of all types of strikes by America and its allies in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and Gaza; 3) The release of all prisoners detained due to "suspicion of belonging to al-Qaeda or the Taliban."; 4) The release of all detainees in Guantanamo and "American secret prisons."; 5) The release of Sayyid Nasir and Ramzi Yousif.; 6) The release of Omar Abd-al-Rahman; 7)The release of Osama Bin Laden's family; and 8) The release of all female prisoners "detained due to suspicion of belonging to al-Qaeda or the Taliban, such as Afiyah Sadiqi."

[imnho]

Yellowcake is uranium Hexafloride. If you run it throught several thousands centafugesfor a few years you get material that can be transformed to highly enriched Uranium. Highly enritched uranium is what was used in the Hiroshima bomb.

[Void-Master]

A word for those al Quida apologists on the board.

To begin with, I seriously doubt that Warren Weinstein ever imprisoned, tortured, killed or sent drones after anyone. If you have a problem with people who conduct such actions, take it up with them.

As others here have noted, taking a 70-year-old aid worker hostage is the desperate act of an entity in its death throes. Besides, you're spending too much time online. I hear your goats are being unfaithful of late, seeing other men and such. You should go check on them.

[finkfurst4]

Void-Master - You completely missed the point.... which is that Americans must expect to be treated as they treat others. If you're happy with that then that's OK, but don't complain or start lashing out when it happens.

[Samlv]

So what? They're going to execute them. We know that. Too late, ignore them. I hope we can get some intel on where they are to send in a few drones.

[guyfrompa46]

This is their last grasp at being relevant. These sucm wil be picked off one at a time Just like that Pr*ick OBL. They kidnap a 70 year old man... Pathetic. They should all rot in hell

[guyfrompa46]

FINAL_FRONTIER- You're a clown. You compare terrorists and those associtated with them to a man who was on a peace mission. Shut the F___ up.

[venusvegasvada]

Cowards. You poor little rats. Do yourselves a favot and let the man go.

We will find you.

[finkfurst4]

venusvegasvada - How about America releasing the thousands of prisoners it is currently illegally imprisoning without charge? Who are actually the worst cowards? It takes all your 'American courage' to torture a bound and helpless man, doesn't it?

[Samlv]

Ya know, Fink, America has done more good for more people than any nation which ever existed. So, right or wrong, flawed or not, it is the best so far.

Sure, we make mistakes. Taking a POW is not among them. Taking them alive, well, that might be an error, looking back.

[finkfurst4]

Is it reasonable to suspect this man might be an illegal CIA agent? It's easy to find out, because there is no doubt that he will admit it when he is tortured, and maybe also give details of drone attacks which will kill innocent people. That's the way America likes to get information from suspects.... isn't it?

[venusvegasvada]

He's a 70 year old aid worker who is a prisoner of a terrorist organization. We have terrorists detained because they want to kill us and we are trying to stop them.

What part of all of this do you not get?

[finkfurst4]

venusvegasvada - If he admits to being an illegal CIA agent after being tortured, would you agree that he is?

[liselle3]

My prayers are with his family. God Bless.

[Samlv]

Ya know, Final, I'm starting to think you are right. We should not have prisoners. They never should have made it out of the theaters of war we found them in as POWs in the first place. At least, not alive. You see, it is proof of America's ideals that you can even know about those POWs, see them, discuss them. That's impossible in just about every other country on Earth today. So, if you are an American, have some pride. Or, leave. Up to you.

[jschmidt27]

They are desperate. Kidnapping 70 year old Americans. They think this will make a differance?

[rwsmith29456]

They would nab an aid worker instead of someone working for the US.