workers killed bay drone strike in pakistan. it happened in january. we learn more about it from u.s. security correspondent jim sciutto. reporter: it was in this mountainous border region between pakistan and afghanistan that a u.s. drone strike killed two western hostages held by al qaeda, including one american, warren weinstein, abducted in pakistan in 2011. al qaeda compounded been under surveillance for hundreds of hours. what the u.s. did not know it is that weinstein and giovanni were held and hidden inside. in this proof of life video, weinstein, an aide worker, pleaded for his freedom. it seems i have been totally abandoned. today president obama apologized for a fatal mistake. we believed that this was an al qaeda compound. that no civilians were present and capturing them were not
captive warren weinstein in the time leading up to his tragic death. joining me now live from bangkok, you followed his story from his captivity and efforts to get him freed for many years. yes. when i spoke to one of the negotiators involved in speaking with warren weinstein s captors, he expressed his shock and his grief to hearing this news from the president of the united states saying we were so close to another proof of life, from the captors. we really can t believe that we re hearing this. and he told me that last proof of life came last june in 2014 when warren weinstein was allowed a phone call with his wife, elaine. and that was the last time, according to him, there was proof of life. they were hoping for more and he felt that the captors were,
would be willing to release warren weinstein, but the changes kept coming. first they asked for money. they asked for hefty ransom. then they changed that to wanting the release of al qaeda figures in exchange for warren weinstein. that s when things became complicated. but the lines of communication he told me were open, one-way remind you. he went able to contact them. they would always contact him. great grief, of course. and his family expressed their grief both at the mistake by the u.s. drone strike, the pakistani government for what they said isn t doing enough, and of course the captors of warren and giovanni. natalie? yes. i was reading that. president obama s phone call to mr. weinstein s wife was one of the most difficult things