Wife blames al-Qaeda over hostage death

Al-Qaeda extremists are ultimately to blame for the tragic death of Warren Weinstein, says the wife of the American hostage who was killed accidentally in a US counter-terrorism strike.

But Elaine Weinstein said on Thursday she and her family were disappointed with the US and Pakistani governments' efforts to secure her husband's release from his Al-Qaeda captors.

"We were so hopeful that those in the US and Pakistani governments with the power to take action and secure his release would have done everything possible to do so and there are no words to do justice to the disappointment and heartbreak we are going through," she said in a statement.

The family was looking forward to the results of a US government investigation into the incident, she said.

"But 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," she said.

She singled out the Pakistani government in particular for criticism, saying officials did not place a sufficient priority on her husband's case.

And as for Washington, she expressed appreciation to some MPs and FBI officials but said "the assistance we received from other elements of the US government was inconsistent and disappointing over the course of three-and-a-half years."