CIA officials criticized for missing drone footage of American al-Qaeda hostage

Hostage held by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan was assumed to be left without surveillance by the CIA

Warren Weisntein was held hostage by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan in 2013. However, reports that the captive was left alone without surveillance from the CIA have surfaced.

MUNTINLUPA CITY, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - An American aid worker, Warren Weinstein is believed to be left without surveillance and was not identified by the CIA while held captive by al-Qaeda. Weinstein was believed to have been killed in an agency strike this year.

The surveillance lapse is now being scrutinized by the CIA, as part of an internal CIA investigation of the death of Warren Weinstein. The U.S. officials explained that the lack of surveillance may have caused the CIA to miss an opportunity to avert the outcome of the incident.

Drones are usually used to survey threats and prisoners in captivity. The U.S. officials have emphasized that drone footage can possibly show a detailed examination of the captive. However, the footage of Weinstein was inconclusive ; even after a very detailed scrutiny of his situation it remained unclear whether the heavily guarded figure was indeed the American aid Warren Weinstein.

However, officials still claim the senior law makers have already expressed their concerns in the classified hearings of the CIA and abandoned a potential lead on an al-Qaeda captive to remain focused on hunting terrorists. This continues, despite President Obama's promise that the government was doing everything it could to find Weinstein.

A U.S. official familiar to the situation revealed, "The agency's main purpose is to go kill terrorists. They will tell you it is not to rescue hostages."

The Obama Administration disputed over the description of their critics in the CIA's failure to identify the hostage in the drone footage.

The intelligence community "prioritizes intelligence collection regarding U.S. hostages," according to White House spokesman Ned Price said. "We take full responsibility for the counterterrorism operation that resulted in" Weinstein's death.

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