Friday, December 27, 2013
In video, American abducted in Pakistan says he feels abandoned
December 26, 2013 -- Updated 2142 GMT (0542 HKT)
Captive American feels 'abandoned'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: FBI says it is working to verify the authenticity of the video
- Weinstein was abducted in Pakistan in August 2011
- Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility and set out conditions for his release
- United States won't negotiate for American's release, officials have said
"The years have taken
their toll," Weinstein, 72, says in the 13-minute video. He says he is
not in good health and that he suffers from acute asthma. He appeals to
Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, the media, the American public and
finally his family.
"Nine years ago, I came
to Pakistan to help my government and I did so at a time when most
Americans would not come here," he said. "And now, when I need my
government, it seems I have been totally abandoned and forgotten."
CNN cannot independently
confirm the authenticity of the video, which was first posted on The
Washington Post website. It was the second apparent proof of life in
which Weinstein makes a direct plea to the Obama administration. The
first was released in May 2012.
"The U.S. government is
working to verify the authenticity of the recently released video of
Warren Weinstein," the FBI said in a statement. "We remain concerned for
the safety and well-being of Mr. Weinstein and remain in contact with
Warren Weinstein's family while we continue to monitor the situation."
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf reiterated the government's call for Weinstein to be released.
U.S. officials have repeatedly said Washington will not bargain with al Qaeda.
Weinstein was abducted
August 20, 2011, from his home in Lahore, Pakistan, shortly before he
was planning to return to the United States. Gunmen posing as neighbors
offered food, then pistol-whipped Weinstein and his driver and tied up
his guards, according to U.S. Embassy and Pakistani officials.
In the latest video,
Weinstein is dressed in a light gray track suit jacket and a black cap.
He looks very different from when he was captured; he is gaunt and has a
salt-and-pepper beard.
"Needless to say, I've
been suffering deep anxiety every part of every day, not knowing what is
happening to my family and not knowing how they are and because I am
not with them," Weinstein said.
He said his captors have
agreed to let his family visit him, but only if Obama agrees to do the
same for al Qaeda members held by the United States.
"Unless you continue to
try to get President Obama and his administration to actively pursue my
release, we may never see each other again," he said.
Weinstein was employed
by J.E. Austin Associates Inc., a U.S. consulting firm based in
Arlington, Virginia, that is a USAID contractor. He is a world-renowned
development expert, according to the company's website.
No one else appears in the latest video of Weinstein. In it, he appeals to Obama as a family man.
"I am, therefore,
appealing to you, on a humanitarian basis, if nothing else, in asking
that you take the necessary actions to expedite my release and my return
to my family and to my country. Our country."
Toward the end, he focuses on his wife and family.
"I would like them to
know I love them very much and I think about each and every one of them
every moment of every day of my captivity."
Weinstein's wife, Elaine, who lives in Rockville, Maryland, was not immediately available for commentSource:CNN News International Tags: Conflict
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