WASHINGTON — The congressman who represents the Maryland district of the family of an American captive killed in a drone strike is pushing for the creation of a hostage czar to coordinate government efforts to free those held.
Democratic Rep. John Delaney introduced the legislation on Friday, a week after President Obama apologized for the accidental deaths of Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto in a January strike against an al-Qaida compound along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
“The tragic loss of Dr. Warren Weinstein should be a call to action, because our hostage rescue operations have to improve,” Delaney said in a statement.
The legislation would create a panel within the National Security Council headed by the czar, who would reach across government agencies and unify efforts to find and release hostages.
The legislation specifically states that it does not authorize the government to negotiate with terrorists.
The White House is considering the creation of a fusion cell of the FBI, Pentagon, State Department and intelligence community to ensure close coordination..
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