WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama’s administration should disclose the full details into the cause of death of al-Qaeda hostages Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto, US Senator Ben Cardin said in a statement.
"I have received a preliminary briefing from the Director of the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency], and have requested a full account of the events that led to Dr. Weinstein’s and Mr. [Giovanni] Lo Porto’s deaths," Senator Cardin of the US state of Maryland, said on Thursday.
Weinstein, an aid worker in Pakistan, was a resident of the US state of Maryland and a constituent of Senator Cardin, who represents Maryland in Congress.
The US government is now conducting a thorough independent review of the operation in order to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, according to the White House.
"The United States and our allies must work to ensure that the men and women who dedicate their lives to international development are properly safeguarded against threats," Cardin said.
Al-Qaeda captured Weinstein and Lo Porto in Pakistan where they worked on providing aid. The terrorist organization held Weinstein hostage since 2011 and Lo Porto since 2012, according to the White House.
Following the announcement of their death, Obama said that he takes "full responsibility" for the failed counterterrorism operation, and explained that he needed to keep the information about the operation classified until Thursday.
The United States began using drones in February 2002 in Afghanistan, according to media reports. US drone attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia have decimated 3,500 Islamic militants, including many high-level commanders who planned attacks against the United States.
