American, Italian hostages killed in U.S. drone strike

WASHINGTON -- Blaming the "fog of war," President Barack Obama revealed Thursday that U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan inadvertently killed two hostages held by al-Qaida, as well as two Americans who had leadership roles with the terror network.

Obama somberly said he took full responsibility for the January CIA strikes and regretted the deaths of hostages Warren Weinstein of Rockville, Maryland, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian aid worker.

The president cast the incident as a tragic consequence of the special difficulties of the fight against terrorists.

The incident is likely to spark fresh scrutiny of Obama's frequent use of drones to target terrorists and his pledge to strike only when there is "near certainty" no civilians will be harmed.

Weinstein, who was captured as he neared the end of a contract assignment with the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Lo Porto were killed during a drone strike against an al-Qaida compound in Pakistan, near the Afghan border. U.S. officials said intelligence showed the compound was frequented by al-Qaida leaders but offered no indication the hostages were there.

Ahmed Farouq, a dual U.S.-Pakistani national who was an al-Qaida operations leader in Pakistan, and Adam Gadahn, an American who served as an al-Qaida spokesman, were killed, officials said.

"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," Obama said at the White House.