The White House released the news this morning that a counterterrorism operation in January killed two innocent hostages held by al-Qaeda.
One was Dr. Warren Weinstein, an American, and the other was Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian.
The news was announced by the White House Press Secretary, not the Pentagon, noting “tremendous sorrow.” President Obama is expected to speak momentarily at the White House — a sudden announcement that caught many by surprise.
“No words can fully express our regret over this terrible tragedy,” the statement from White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest reads.
The statement revealed that the Intelligence Community reached the conclusion that the operation accidentally killed both hostages, although there was “no reason to believe” that the hostages were present.
Two other Americans who were working as Al-Qaeda members were also killed in January in separations. Their names were revealed as Ahmed Farouq and Adam Gadahn, but the White House insists that “neither was specifically targeted” during the operations.