dr. warren weinstein, 72 years old, one of the oldest hostages. he had been living in pakistan for seven years and about to go home and working on agricultural development projects. he was having a going away party and then was abducted. giovani laporteo. they according to the president along with al qaeda militants were killed. >> thank you so very much. i want to go back to the pentagon. >> reporter: on a totally different topic senior defense officials are telling us that the iranian convoy nine ships and warships and at least three or four supply ships believed to be carrying weapons after five days of floating up and down off the yemen coast, they turned north and now appear headed back to iran heading off which could have been a pretty critical crisis if they tried to run a blockade and the u.s. military engaged iranian military there in the north arabian sea. that problem appears to be over as the iranians appear headed back towards iran. >> and just breaking and you are bringing us this news. that presumes they didn't offload what they had

dr. warren weinstein, an ade worker -- aid worker. we start our coverage with mark albert. >> reporter: president obama apologized this morning for a u.s. drone strike that killed two hostages, including an american. >> i profoundly regret what happened on behalf of the united states government i offer our deepest apologies. >> reporter: drone strikes were conducted in january along the pakistani-afghanistan border. the operation targeted an al qaeda compound. >> my name is warren weinstein. >> reporter: dr. warren weinstein, an aid worker from maryland captured in 2011 by al qaeda in pakistan was killed. also killed was giovanni loporto, an italian hostage held since 2012. >> i cannot begin the imagine the anguish that weinstein and loporto families are enduring. >> reporter: the obama administration is conducting a review of the strikes. the weinstein family released a statement saying, quote, we look forward to the results of that investigation. but those who took warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. th

dr. warren weinstein was an american international aid worker from maryland. giovanni lo porto was an aid worker from italy both held hostage by al qaeda for years. it was concluded that capturing the al qaeda cell was impossible so they decided to wipe it out. they didn't know the hostages were there. >> it is a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally and our fight against terrorists specifically mistakes, sometimes deadly mistakes can occur. >> reporter: dr. weinstein's wife elaine released a statement saying in part those who took warren captive over three years ago, their ultimate responsibility. i can assure you he would be alive and well if they allowed him to return home after his time abroad working to help the people of pakistan. weinstein was abducted in pakistan in august of 2011. giovanni was kidnapped in 2012. the president is promising a thorough investigation into what went wrong. >> i profoundly regret what happened. on behalf of the united states government, i offer our deepest apologies to the families. >> reporter: what the p

one, the hostage, dr. warren weinstein, and then two americans who were working for al qaeda. and the u.s. has killed -- deliberately killed americans who were working for terrorist groups before but in this case neither of those americans working for al qaeda were actually targeted. so these were all people who were killed by mistake and i think other than the immediate tragedy of inadvertently killing an american and italian hostage, you've got the real problem here of questioning the viability going forward of these cia drone strikes if the intelligence is so unreliable that you end up killing two hostages and two american-born terrorists that you didn't know were there. >> in fact, that's the point isn't it? they said they had no reason to believe that they were there. >> that's right. and, you know this controversy about how many people innocent people are being killed by these drone strikes in the pakistan border areas has been going on for years now and outside critics have claimed that hubs of innocent civilians are being killed the government has always claimed that t

dr. warren weinstein was contractor working in pakistan when he was kidnapped in 2011. the death of the two hostages are raising questions within the intelligence community. >> we have to acknowledge the intelligence was just not good in this case. >> the white house also revealed that ahmed farouq, an american al-qaeda leader died in the same operation. california native died during a separate january operation. the deaths is the first known incidence in which the u.s. accidentally killed hostages during a drone strike. fox news. >>> a bill that would protect residents who let their lawns go brown. the bill would prohibit penalties. california's rules limiting water use and restrict watering. now the bill would go further. >>> nba playoffs. the warriors about 90 minutes away from taking the court against the pelicans. up 2 games to none but tonight the game is in new orleans. >> mark ibanez for what we should be looking for. >> it will be interest. this is the first time the warriors played on the road. only lost twice in oakland. we will see how they do away from home

flowers and yellow ribbons mark the maryland home of dr. warren weinstein. one of two hostages killed in a u.s. drone strike. >> i profoundly regret what happened. on behalf of the united states government i offer our deepest apologies. >> reporter: the drone strikes were conducted in january along the pakistan-afghan border. the operation targeting an al qaeda compound. >> my name is warren weinstein. >> reporter: dr. weinstein was an aid worker captured in pakistan and held by al qaeda since 2011. also killed was giovanni lo porto an italian hostage held since 2012. the president said the u.s. did not know hostages were being held at the compound. >> i cannot begin to imagine the anguish that the weinstein and lapore tow lo porto families are suffering today. >> reporter: the obama administration is conducting a review of the strikes. the weinstein family released a statement saying, we look forward to the results of that investigation. but those who took warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. the family also blamed the pakistan

warren weinstein of rockville did as a contractor for usaid. here's what the statement says. "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." we just heard the president apologize for the accidental killing of two hostages in a strike in january targeting al qaeda in the afghan/pakistan region. that's the latest. back to you. >>> with your cnbc business headlines i'm landon dowdy. say good-bye to calls from unknown numbers. facebook is testing a new caller i.d. app called "hello." it matches numbers to facebook profiles to show information on who you're talking to. blocked calls from chonly blocked numbers and search for businesses to call. it's only available on android phones as apple ios software doesn't help apps interact with phone calls. back over to you. >>> capitol police say they will restrict access to the capitol during the fourth of july. capitol police are warnings congressional leadership about parties inside the capitol during the memoria

warren weinstein and italian giovanni lo porto. he was held since 2012. dr. weinstein held since 2011. let's go straight to michelle from the white house. what else can we expect to her from the president at the white house. >> there's a lot of information in the statement the white house just released. these are three americans killed in two separate counter-terrorism operations. one hostage, warren weinstein. also two other americans including adam gadahn a notorious american member you could say spokesperson for al qaeda. so we expect the president to explain what happened as well as justify what happened at least to some extent. you look at the tone of the staple. they started out, in fact with tremendous sorrow. no words can fully express our regret over this terrible tragedy. the president takes full responsibility for these operations. that said they also within the statement say that the counter-terrorism operation was lawful and conducted consistent with our counter-terrorism policies. those are some of the things we expect the president to say. keep

flowers are outside dr. warren weinstein's house. he was killed along with geovany. in announcing the deaths yesterday, president obama said hundreds of hours of surveillance indicated no civilians were present at the compound. house minority leader nancy pelosi also wants an investigation into the incident. >> it is beyond collateral damage. it is something that should have never happened. >> the family of dr. weinstein echoed the call for an investigation but put the blame for his death on al qaeda. those who took warren captive over three years ago bare ultimate responsibility. >>> support for gay marriage is at a record high according to a new poll from the washington post. the poll found 61% of americans support same sex marriage. the same numbers 61% also pose individual states prohibiting gay people from getting married. next tuesday the u.s. supreme court is scheduled to hear arguments on what could be the decisive case on same sex marriage in the country. the justices are being asked to rule on whether the constitution allows states to ban gay marriage. >>>

the hostages american aid worker dr. warren weinstein and italian giovani porto. wanted to express his grief and condolences to the world. >> as a husband and as a father i cannot begin to imagine the anguish that the weinstein and laporto families are enduring. i realize there are no words that can equal their loss. i know there is nothing that i can say or do to ease their heart ache. today i want to say this. as president and as commander in chief i take full responsibility for all our counter terrorism operations including the one that inadvertently took the lives of warren and giovani. our initial assessment indicateathize operation was fully consistent under guidelines which we conduct which has been our focus for years because it is the home of al qaeda's leadership. based on the intelligence that we obtained at the time including hundreds of hours of surveillance we believed that this was an al qaeda compound that no civilians were present and that capturing these terrorists was not possible. and we do believe that the operation did take out dangerous memb

warren weinstein, the american who had been held captive for about three years. the president apologized for the strike that he said was a mistake, he said all of the protocols were followed. here is a little bit of what the president had to say. >> it's a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally, and our fight against terrorists specifically mistakes sometimes deadly mistakes can occur. but one of the things that sets america apart from many other nations, one of the things that makes us exceptional, is our willingness to confront scarily our imperfections and to learn from our mistakes. >> reporter: the white house mentioned in separate air strikes two americans who were fighting with al-qaeda were also killed in u.s. counter terrorism operations. >> mike do we know anything about the response of the families of the hostage victims? >> reporter: well we do. elaine weinstein is dr. weinstein's widow, she has been very public leading for her husband's return. you recall the release of bo bergdahl when five prisoners were released to theireda third-

one of them an american dr. warren weinstein who had been held for nearly four years. the other an italian humanitarian worker named giovanni lo porto. >> the government has sfent years trying to find these men. weinstein was a

warren weinstein one of two hostages killed in a u.s. drone strike. >> i profoundly regret what happened. on behalf of the united states government, i offer our deepest apologies. >> reporter: the drone strikes were conducted in january along the pakistan-afghanistan border. the operation targeting an al qaeda compound. he was an aid worker captured in pakistan and held by al qaeda since 2011. also killed was an italian held hostage since 2012. the president said the u.s. did not know hostages were being held at the compound. >> i cannot begin to imagine the anguish that the weinstein and lapore tow families are enduring today. i realize that there are no words that can ever equal their loss. >> reporter: the obama administration is conducting a review of the strikes. the weinstein family said, we look forward to the results of that investigation but those who took warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. the family also blamed the pakistani government for not doing enough to help free weinstein after all the hum

warren weinstein, an aid worker from maryland, was kidnapped by al qaeda in pakistan in 2011, gunmen breaking into his house. the 73-year-old grandfather appealing for help while in captivity two years ago. >> now when i need my government, it seems that i have been totally abandoned and forgotten. >> reporter: today weinstein's wife elaine said she and her family were devastated. while she insisted, quote, those who took warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. she also expressed frustration with elements of the u.s. government whose assistance during weinstein's captivity she described as inconsistent and disappointing. also killed, giovanni lo porto, an italian aid worker kidnapped in 2012. the white house says both men's families will be compensated for their loss. >> i profoundly regret what happened. on behalf of the united states government, i offer our deepest apologies to the families. >> reporter: senior u.s. officials tell nbc news the men were killed in a cia drone strike in the rugged mountains of eastern pack stine january 14. . while the presid

one was an american dr., warren weinstein. that's him on the right side of your your -- of your screen. the other hostage on the left, an italian aide worker, giovanni lo porto. he was captured in 2012. president obama expressed his condolences to the families of both men. >> warren's work benefited people across all faiths. al qaeda boasted to the world he was held because of his faith. al qaeda held both men for years even as warren's health tee tear rated -- deteriorated. >> president obama accepted full responsibility. he said they were targeting an al qaeda compound near the afghanistan/pakistan border. but u.s. intelligence didn't intercade hostages were there. the white house also announced that two other american who were members of al qaeda were also killed in u.s. anti-terror raids. 36-year-old adam gadan worked as an al qaeda translator and a spokesperson. he converted to islam when he was 17. during his time with al qaeda, he posted plop gan da -- propaganda videos on arab websites. the u.s. offered a $1 million re

dr. warren weinstein and another hostage, giovanni lo porto. he was captured in 2012. both were kidnapped by al qaeda in pakistan. the drones targeted two hideouts along the border of pakistan and afghanistan. the president said intelligence excepts didn't know the -- experts didn't know they were hiding the hostages there. >> i take full responsibility for our counterterrorism omerations, including the ones that inadvertently took the lives of warren and giovanni lo porto. i regret what happened. >> two other americans working with al qaeda were also killed in the attacks. one was an american who led al qaeda. because of the deaths of the hostages, president obama is calling for a full review of what happened. nancy pelosi says she wants to see all of the intelligence the president releases on the drone strikes. >> he took full responsibility as commander-in-chief, apologized to the family for the tragedy. and i look forward to what he calls for the declassification of all of the information related to the strike so that the families will know the facts and so will th

one american dr. warren weinstein, and an italian, giovanni lo porto. john: the president is referring to 72-year-old american development worker warren weinstein, who was kidnapped by al qaeda in 2011. and 39-year-old italian development worker giovanni lo porto, who was kidnapped al qaeda in 2012. this week we learned that both men were accidentally killed in a c.i.a. dren strike in january. here's how it happened. the c.i.a. spotted an al qaeda safe house in pakistan and closely monitored it. judging senior al qaeda leaders to be present, the c.i.a. attacked. and while the drone killed a number of al qaeda terrorists, including an al qaeda leader and an american fighter for the group, mr. weinstein and mr. lo porto were later found to have been hidden in the building. al qaeda had made sure the hostages couldn't be seen by u.s. surveillance efforts. president obama apologized for the loss of life. president obama: as president and as commander-in-chief, i take full responsibility for all our counterterrorism operations, including the one that inadver

warren weinstein, an aid worker maryland, was kidnapped by al qaeda in pakistan in 2011, gunmen breaking into his house. the 73-year-old grandfather appe for help captivity tw ago. >> now when i need my government, it seems that i have been totally abandoned and forgotten. >> reporter: today weinstein's wife elaine said she her fami devastated. while she insisted, quote,ho warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate . she also expressed frustration with elements of governme assistance weinstei she described as inconsistent a disappoi also killed, giovanni lo porto, an italian aid worker in 2012. the white house says both men will be comp for their loss. >> i profoundly regret on behalf of the united states government i offer our deepest apologies to the >> reporter: cia officials tell nbc news the men were strike in the rugged mountains of pakistan. while the didn't speci order the strike the intended t high al qaed leadersh despite hundreds of hours of sur they had n information indicating the two there. it wasn't until several days ago that the u.s. g confirmed th yesterday. >> i

their names dr. warren weinstein, an american held by al qaeda since 2011. an italian, held by al qaeda since 2012. they also believed two other americans recently killed in u.s. government counterterrorism operations in the same part of that country. they include ahmed faro u.k., american al qaeda leader killed in the same operation that resulted in the deaths of dr. weinstein and giovanniy3 laporto. they concluded adam gadahn, american from california became prominent member of california, also killed in january likely however in a separate u.s. government counterterrorism operation. the president will address this in minutes. we'll take you live to the press briefing room at the white house when that happens. quick break here. back in a moment. when laquinta.com sends craig wilson a ready for you alert the second his room is ready, ya know what he becomes? great proposal! let'stalk more over golf. great. how about over tennis? even better. a game changer! the ready for you alert, only at laquinta.com. hi, i'm henry winkler and i'm here to tell homeowners

warren weinstein an italian aide worker. dr. weinstein is the american. the other american killed was working with al qaeda adam gadahn, you may remember him as the english spokesperson for al qaeda. and faruq was another al qaeda member killed in a drone strike. now let's listen. >> as president and as commander in chief i take full responsibility for all our counter terrorism operations, including the one that inadvertently took the lives of warren and giovanni. i profoundly regret what happened. on behalf of the united states government, i offer our deepest apologies to the families. >> so this operation took place in january. january 14th, we're told. we're back with the panel. charles, what about this? i mean, it seems strange the way it was explained, what about it? >> look, we have had other hostages lost on other presidents. jimmy carter and rescue mission under reagan hostages executed executed in lebanon friendly fire. you don't want to heap a lot of criticism on the president. two points to make. number one is we lack intelligence. obama decide

warren weinstein an italian aide worker. dr. weinstein is the american. the other american killed was working with al qaeda adam gadahn, you may remember him as the english spokesperson for al qaeda. and faruq was another al qaeda member killed in a drone strike. now let's listen. >> as president and as commander in chief i take full responsibility for all our counter terrorism operations, including the one that inadvertently took the lives of warren and giovanni. i profoundly regret what happened. on behalf of the united states government, i offer our deepest apologies to the families. >> so this operation took place in january. january 14th, we're told. we're back with the panel. charles, what about this? i mean, it seems strange the way it was explained, what about it? >> look, we have had other hostages lost on other presidents. jimmy carter and rescue mission under reagan hostages executed executed in lebanon friendly fire. you don't want to heap a lot of criticism on the president. two points to make. number one is we lack intelligence. obama decide

one american dr. warren weinstein. and an italian giovanni laporto who were tragically killed in a u.s. counterterrorism operation. warren and giovanni were aide workers in pakistan devoted to improving the lives of the pakistani people. after warren was abducted by al qaeda in 2011 i directed my national security team to do everything possible to find him and bring him home safely to his family. dedicated professionals across our government worked tirelessly to do so. we worked closely with our italian allies on behalf of giovanni who was kidnapped in 2012. since 9/11 our efforts have prevented terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives here in america and around the world. that determination to protect innocent life only makes the loss of these two men especially painful for all of us. based on information and intelligence we have obtained we believe that a u.s. counterterrorism operation targeting an al qaeda compound in the afghanistan/pakistan border region accidentally killed warren and giovanni this past january

weinstein. >> reporter: since dr. weinstein was taken hostage in 2011, his family has kept a positive attitude. the tree in front of their rockville home was decorated by neighbors on the third anniversary of his captivity. the yellow ribbons have faded and now so has his wife's hopes. >> we are all very devastated that her hopes aren't going to happen. you know, that his return is not going to occur. and i just -- i mean, she and her daughters need to be able to grieve. >> reporter: dr. weinstein's wife elaine on behalf of her daughters and families issued a statement saying there are no words to do justice to the disappointment and heartbreak we are going through. we do not yet fully understand all of the facts surrounding warren's death. the president is taking full responsibility for the counterterrorism attack on the al qaeda compound that accidentally killed weinstein and italian hostage giovanna laportela laportea laporta. on msnbc benjamin cardin is asked about how this mistake was made. >> andrea that's why i

warren weinstein. in the same operation an american who had joined al qaeda amed furuk was killed and another american who had joined al qaeda had also been killed. the president needed to classify this this morning. i want to go for more details to jon karl on the phone. >> reporter: in a very strong statement from the press secretary says the president takes full responsibility for these operations. he says the tragic nature results in the death of the hostages is something we do is not repeated. very heavy statement from the white house on this. i'm sure that's the tone. you'll hear reflected from the president. they say when this operation was conducted they had no information that these hostages were -- >> here comes the president now. >> this morning i want to express our grief and condolences to the families of two hostages. one american dr. warren weinstein and an italian giovanni laporto who were killed in a u.s. counter terrorism operation. warren and giovanni were aide workers in pakistan de

reporter: dr. weinstein's wife elaine is expressing her disappointment with both the u.s. and pakistani governments in a prepared statement. she blames her husband's kidnappers, though saying "those who took warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. i can assure you that he would still be alive and well if they had allowed him to return home after his time abroad working to help the people of pakistan." the white house is launching a review of the strikes. so are lawmakers. they hope to reduce the risk of more innocent bloodshed. reporting in washington i'm paulo sandoval. alison: news of weinstein's death is certainly heartbreaking for his neighbors in rockville who wrapped yellow ribbons around trees generating hope for his return. kevin lewis continues our team coverage from rockville now. kevin? kevin: hi there alison. weinstein's wife eileen received a phone call from president barack obama yesterday. the president expressing his sincere sorrow and apology. no sign of the family at the home today. but loved ones have been stopping by all mornin

it took a long time three months for them to get confirmation that it was dr warren weinstein, and the italian giovanni lo porto. the president appeared in the briefing room making his apology, sombre almost contrite. here is a little more of what he had to say. the family itself is as patty culhane pointed out, critical in a sense of the administration for not doing as much as they can to communicate with hostage families, coordinate with the families, the long-standing policy of the united states is not to pay ransom. there's a lot of frustration about that as well. also not holding the administration completely responsible, saying ultimately it was the captives who killed warren weinstein and they are responsible >>> the bureau of investigative journalism keeps statistics on the use of drone attacks by the u.s. around the world. there has been 415 streaks in pakistan killing between 2500 and 4,000 people, including 960 civilians. in yemen, up to 111 confirmed strikes, and possibly 92 more. the death toll ranges from 436 to as high as 646, with up to 96 civilian deaths. there has bee

warren weinstein. he was killed alongside fellow italian giovanni la porto. today president obama took full responsibility. >> i profoundly regret what happened. on behalf of the united states government, i offer our deepest apologies to the family. >> reporter: the drone attack occurred in january in a remote area in the afghanistan pakistan border. >> based on the intelligence that we had obtained at the time. including hundreds of hours of surveillance. we believe this was an al-qaida compound. that no civilians were present and that capturing these terrorists was not possible. >> reporter: that intelligence was flawed and the president ordered an investigation. the family of weinstein echoed that. >> it is beyond collateral damage. it is something that should never happen. >> reporter: the incident raises new questions about u.s. drone policy in the war against terrorism. but civil rights groups such as the aclu saying the u.s. literally didn't know who it was killing. the white house did say that key al-qaida members were killed in the attack including f

dr. warren weinstein and giovanni lo porto. two other americans were actually al qaeda members were also killed in that attack. ahmed farouk was deputy amir of al qaeda in the indian subcontent and adam gadahn. he threatened attacks here at home and abroad. joining me is julian turner former white house national security staff member under presidents bush and obama. we watched an interesting press conference with josh earnest. we've got a ton of questions about what possibly could have gone wrong here. it was interesting to me president obama took full responsibility for this. what were your thoughts? >> i thought it was likewise it was very notable. i think it was commendable. it's so rare we see the commander in chief take personal responsibility for any mission. i think the fact he decided to do it, there is no right or wrong in terms of handling the pr aftermath of a tragedy like this. i think he did a good job considering the options. >> apparently did he not order this strike. he is taking personal respsibility but this f

warren weinstein. he was killed along with italian hostage in a u.s. drone strike in january targeting an al qaeda compound. in announcing the deaths yesterday, president obama said hundreds of hours of surveillance indicated that no civilians were present at the compound. house minority leader nancy pelosi says she also wants an investigation into the incident. >> it is beyond collateral damage. it is something that should never happen. >> the family of dr. weinstein echoed the call for an investigation but put the blame for his death on al qaeda saying in a statement those that too warren captive over three years ago bare the it mall responsibility. >>> time is 5:45. a new washington post poll shows support for gay marriage is at a record high. the poll found 61% of americans now support same sex marriage. the same number 61% also oppose individual states prohibiting gay people from getting married. well next tuesday the u.s. supreme court is scheduled to hear arguments on what could be the decisive case on same sex marriage in this country. the cour

at the time of the mission, dr. warren weinstein was being held hostage by al qaeda. president obama said the u.s. didn't know the hostages were at that location when the u.s. launched the attacks. we're just learning of this now as they become declassified. they actually took place on january 14th and january 19th near the border of pakistan and afghanistan. an italian hostage was also killed in those drone strikes. president obama apologized to the family of the hostages and took full responsibility as commander in chief. >> as a husband and as a father i cannot begin to imagine the anguish that the weinstein and lo porto families are enduring today. there are no words that can ever equal their loss. i know that there is nothing that i can ever say or do to ease their heartache. >> if a statement weinstein's widow says the family is devastated and no words can do justice to the disappointment and heartbreak we're going through. a separate drone strike killed a southern california man who has worked for years as a prominent pop grandist for al qaeda. the white house

warren weinstein's wife elaine live ss. weinstein, a humanitarian aid worker was abducted in pakistan in 2011. he along with italian giovanni la tort at that wereportea were killed. >> what we didn't know, tragically, is that al qaeda was hiding the presence of warren and giovanni this this compound. it is a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally and our fight against terrorists specifically mistakes, sometimes deadly mistakes, can occur. >> reporter: elaine weinstein and her daughters say they are devastated and heart broken issuing a statement saying, those who took warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. neighbor rebecca adele helped decorate the street with yellow ribbons as a show of hope. now she dreads taking them down. >> i'm not ready to. they're for the family and i couldn't imagine if it were mine. >> reporter: congressman john delaney worked with weinstein's family trying to get him released. >> to think about the way he spent the last several year fz his life in some c

. >> dr. warren weinstein our sympathies to his family. and giovanni lo porto -- both of them public servants trying to make the world a better place. very sad. >> we need all the facts for the families and so we can make sure nothing like this ever happens again in our tortes to keep americans -- our efforts to keep americans safe. >> i'm joined by senator patrick leahy, ranking democrat on the senate judiciary committee. thank you for being with us this afternoon. and i want to discuss the lynch nomination since that happened moments ago. first to the drone attacks here and the tragedy with one american killed, hostage killed. do you believe that this could lead to reforms in the way drone strikes specifically are conducted? and how big of a hit is this to the united states' counterterrorism operations that we are in? >> senator fineeinstein has said that the senate intelligence committee -- i would like to know all the facts before i judge on the drone. and we should not forget one thing -- two things really. it's a tragic thing for the

one italian, one american, the american, dr. warren weinstein. one other american was also in that first target. an american al qaeda member, named ahmed farouk, who was the number two al qaeda leader in pakistan. then a few days after this first drone strike, also mid-january, this year, earlier this year, there was a second drone strike and another american, another american al qaeda member, named adam gadahn, was killed in that strike. so you had two different strikes by the cia, earlier this year, in which two hostages were inadvertently killed, and two american al qaeda members were killed. apparently also inadvertently. >> do we expect any change many our policy, or is that sort of public relations to say, we're going to review our policy? >> reporter: well, i have not heard anyone talking about seriously reviewing the policy. when we speak to military officials, they say, well, this wasn't really our operation, this was a cia operation, perhaps there needs to be better visibility on how those two agencies de-conflict their missions. genera

warren weinstein who was kidnapped in pakistan in 2011 as well as an italian aid worker also held by al-qaeda. the white house now declassifying the mission and is conducting a review to determine why the intelligence was apparently flawed. the white house also announcing a separate strike killed this american, adam gadahn, who became a prominent al-qaeda media adviser as well. jonathan chancellor is vice president at the foundation for defense of democracies, talking a little bit about this news today. this is rare that we get this sort of statement from the president on, quote-unquote, drone strikes. not using that exact term. what do you make of the statement the timing of it? >> well, it is very rare. obviously the president didn't mention drone strikes per se. this is part of the parlance coming out of the white house. nevertheless, we were aware of the fact that ahmed farouq, this high value target, had been struck back in january. it's interesting that it took this many months to get to the point where they were able to come out and perhaps confirm the fact that these hostages

warren weinstein and giovanni lo porto. i'm not going to repeat everything i said yesterday, but i do want to make one point again. we're going to review what happened. we're going to identify the lessons that can be learned and any improvements and changes that can be made. and i know those of you who are here share our determination to continue doing everything we can to prevent the loss of innocent lives. i was asked by somebody, you know how do you absorb news like that that we received the other day. i told the truth. it's hard. but the one thing i wanted everybody to know, because i know you w because i work with you, because i know the quality of this team is that we all bleed when we lose an american life. we all grieve when any innocent life is taken. we don't take this work lightly. and i know that each and every one of you understand the magnitude of what we do and the stakes involved. and these aren't abstractions. we're not cavalier about what we do. and we understand the solemn responsibilities that are given

warren weinstein and italian giovanni reporto were killed during counterterrorism operations against al qaeda. senior u.s. officials tell nbc news the cia drone strikes on january 14th and january 19th were launched against two separate al qaeda compounds. the white house also revealed two americans who joined al qaeda were killed in the attacks. president obama said the hostages were killed by accident. he took full responsibility. >> as president and as commander in chief, i take full responsibility for all our counterterrorism operations, including the ones that inadvertently took the lives of warren and giovanni. i profoundly regret what happened. on behalf of united states government, i offer our deepest apologies to the families. >> the winestein family released a statement saying in part "those who took warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility." i'm joined tonight by lawrence korbe, senior fellow at the center for american progress also with us tonight, steve clemmons, msnbc contributor and editor at large at "the atlantic." good to have you with us ton

warren weinstein, an american aid worker held hostage since 2011, and italian aid worker, giovanni lo porto, kidnapped days after he arrived in the region to help with flood recovery in 2012. today, president obama took full responsibility for the tragedy. >> as president and as commander in chief, i take full responsibility for all our counterterrorism operations, including the the one that inadvertently took the lives of warren and giovanni. we believed that this was an al qaeda compound that no civilians were present, and that capturing these terrorists was not possible. and we do believe that the operation did take out dangerous members of al qaeda. what we did not know tragically, is that al qaeda was hiding the presence of warren and giovanni in this same compound. >> the strikes also killed two american al qaeda members, though neither were specifically targeted. today, weinstein's widow released a statement on behalf of the family saying "those who took warren captive over the three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. he would still be alive and well if they had allowed hi

killed in that operation dr. warren weinstein. two other americans who were working with the terror organization were also killed. this happened back in january in afghanistan and pakistan. but officials just released the information moments ago. president obama is scheduled to speak about the counter terrorism operation in just a few minutes. you can see that next during the "today" show. >>> brand new secretary of defense ashton carter will speak at stanford today. >> scott mcgrew, he's talking about cyber defense and opening an office here in silicon valley. >> the patent office, department of homeland security, just announced new labs here finally, the pentagon. kind of takes us full circle as silicon valley was built on the back of u.s. defense. carter will speak at stanford this morning. now, all secretaries of defense are smart of course but secretary carter, by the way, is a particle physicist. louisiana governor and potential republican candidate bobby jindal wrote a scathing op-ed in this morning's "new york times" with

warren weinstein, both the italian and weinstein had been held in pakistan for several years now. that they were both killed by accident, the white house says. that the white house didn't know and the cia didn't know that they were being held in this al qaeda safe house. along with another american. that american was an al qaeda subcommander who happened to be in the house, in this al qaeda safehouse at the time. then a few days after that attack in mid-january, there was another drone strike in the same region of pakistan near the border. and in that second drone strike yet another american was killed. also working for al qaeda. a man named adam gadahn. that was the adopted name he used when he was one of al qaeda's top spokesmen. so big revelations from the white house today. a tragedy for italy, a tragedy for the united states that in these two separate drone strikes in mid-january, an utalan hostage was killed -- an italian hostage was killed an american hostage was killed and two other americans, both of them working for al qaeda. susan? >> our chief foreign correspondent, ri

warren weinstein and an italian, giovanni lo porto, who were tragically killed in a u.s. counterterrorism operation. warren and giovanni were aid workers in pakistan, devoted to improving the lives of the pakistani people. after warren was abducted by al qaeda in 2011. i directed my national security team to do everything possible to find him and to bring him home safely to his family. and dedicated professionals across our government worked tirelessly to do so. we also worked closely with our italian allies on behalf of giovanni who was kidnapped in 2012. since 9/11 our course terrorism efforts have prevent terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives, both here in america and around the world. and that determination to protect innocent life only makes the loss of these two men especially painful for all of us. based on information and intelligence we have obtained we believe that a u.s. counterterrorism operation targeting an al qaeda compound in the afghanistan-pakistan border region, accidentally killed warren and giovanni this past january. yesterday i spoke with warre

warren weinstein angied and giovanni laporte. we are going to review what happened. we are going to identify lessons that can be learned and any improvements and changes that can be made. i know those of you here share our determination to continue doing everything we can to prevent loss of innocent lives. i was asked by somebody how do you absorb news like that that we received the other day and i told the truth. it is hard. but the one thing i wanted everybody to know because i know you, because i worked with you, because i know the quality of this team, is that we all bleed when we lose an american life. we all grieve when any innocent life is taken. we don't take this work lightly. and i know that each and every one of you understands the magnitude of what we do and the stakes involved. and these aren't abstracts, and we are not cavalier. and we understand the solemn responsibilities that are given to us. and our first job is to make sure we protect the american people. but there's not a person i talk to that's involved in the intelligence community that also doe

warren weinstein, an an italian, giovanni la porteo who were tragically killed in a u.s. action vm they were devoted to improving the lives of the pakistani people. i directed my national security team to do everything possible to find him and bring him home safely to his family. and dedicated professionals across our government worked tirelessly to do so. we also worked closely with our italian allies on behalf of giovanni who was kidnapped in 2012. since 9/11, our counterterrorism efforts have prevented terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives, both here in america an around the world. and as for the culmination to protect innocent life only makes the loss of these two men especially painful for all of us. based on information and intelligence we have obtained, we believe that a u.s. counterterrorism operation targeting an al qaeda compound in the afghanistan-pakistan border region accidentally killed warren and giovanni this past january. yesterday i spoke with tim warren's wife's layne and prime minister renzi of italy. as a husband and as a father, i cannot begin t

warren weinstein who was long-time held captive in the pakistan region as well as the two american al qaeda adam gagan and warren winestein. >> yes. warren winestein helped with the poor, and several videos emerged showing dr. winestein, and we have not heard much of him as of late, and this is a surprising i had not heard this in the past that there had been these drone strike, and where there had been possible casualties, and so it is a surprise announcement about not just the deaths of the american hostages, but the death another american linked to al qaeda and so three americans, and onetwo of them host one of them militants. >> and richard engel on the phone from italy, and now going back to the white house where the president is expected to peter, i want to come back to in the statement that was re we will do o sure it is not repeted, and they are conducting a thorough independent statement to see what to do to prevent it, and this is going to razise a lo >> yes, a that is correct, matt. and it is called the uniquely tragic nature of the operation, the strikes that killed the am

warren weinstein, and one italian, giovanni laporto who were tragically killed in a counterterrorism operation. they were aid workers in pakistan devoted improving the lives of the pakistani people. after warren was abducted by al qaeda in 2011, i direct id -- i directed my national security team to do everything possible to find him and bring him home safely to his family. dedicated professionals across our government worked tirelessly to do system of we also worked closely with our italian allies on behalf of giovanni who was kidnapped in 2012. since 9/11, our counterterrorism efforts have prevented terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives, both here in america and around the world. and that determination to protect innocent life only makes the loss of these two men especially painful for all of us. based on information and intelligence -- and intelligence we have obtained, we believe that a u.s. counterterrorism operation targeting an al qaeda compound in the afghanistan-pakistan border region accidentally killed warren and giovanni this past january. yesterday i spoke with warr

he said, no, i'll be fine. >> my name is warren weinstein. >> reporter: since dr. weinstein was taken ho his family has kept a positive attitude. the tree in front of their rockville home was decorated by neighbors on the third anniversary of his captivity. the yellow ribbons have faded and now so has his wife's hopes. >> we are all very devastated that her hopes aren't going to happen, you know, that his return is not going to occur. i just -- i mean she and her daughters need to be able to grieve. >> reporter: dr. weinstein's wife elaine on behalf of her daughters and their families issued a statement saying there are no words to do justice to the disappointment and heartbreak we are going through. we do not yet fully understand all of the facts surrounding warren's death. weinstein's family believes his captors are ultimately responsible. his friend robert copakeen says -- >> i was in government for 30 years, and i know there are lots of mistakes that can happen. it's just tragic, and it should not have happened. >> reporter: we have posted the entire weinstein

what we did not know is that al qaeda was identifying the presence of warren weinstein and giovanni lo porto in the same compound. >> reporter: dr. weinstein's wife expresses the disappointment with both governments in a prepared statement. she blames her husband's kidnappers though saying, quote, those who took warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. i can assure you that he would still be alive and well if they had allowed him to return home after his time abroad working to help the people of pakistan. the white house is launching a review of the strikes. so are lawmakers. they hope to reduce the risk of more innocent bloodshed. reporting in. what, i'm paolo sandoval. >> the u.s. never recovered weinstein's body and didn't conducted a dna test to determine his death. multiple intelligence sources confirm the death based on circumstantial evidence and a cia assessment. >>> one of the american al qaeda operatives killed in the drone strikes was a southern california man. adam gadahn was serving as a spokesman for the terror network. he began practicing islam i