Family of American al-Qaeda hostage 'devastated' by his death

Marisol Bello | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption American killed in U.S. drone strike mourned by family The family of Warren Weinstein, who was accidentally killed during a rescue attempt by U.S. forces earlier this year released a statement saying that "there are no words to do justice to the disappointment and heartbreak we are going through."



The last time the public saw American aid worker Warren Weinstein was in a video released by al-Qaeda in December 2013, more than two years into his captivity by the terrorist group.

Weinstein was wearing a gray track suit and a black knit cap. A scraggly beard covered his face. He told the world he felt "totally abandoned and forgotten."

His family held high hopes that the 73-year-old from Rockville, Md., would come home, but on Thursday, the White House said a drone strike on an al-Qaeda compound in Pakistan killed Weinstein and another hostage, Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian who was captured in 2012.

In a scathing statement issued Thursday morning on a website devoted to Weinstein's return, his family said they are devastated by the news that an American operation killed him.

"On behalf of myself, our two daughters, our son-in-law, and two grandchildren, we are devastated by this news and the knowledge that my husband will never safely return home," Weinstein's wife, Elaine, wrote in the statement. "We were so hopeful that those in the U.S. 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 wrote that the family does not yet understand all the facts surrounding Weinstein's death.

Maryland man 1 of 2 al-Qaeda hostages killed by drone President Obama issued an apology for a January drone strike that accidentally killed two al-Qaeda hostages. One of the men, Dr. Warren Weinstein, is from Maryland.

While she thanked the Maryland members of Congress who helped them, she had harsh words for the Obama administration.

"Unfortunately, the assistance we received from other elements of the U.S. Government was inconsistent and disappointing over the course of three and a half years," she said. "We hope that my husband's death and the others who have faced similar tragedies in recent months will finally prompt the U.S. Government to take its responsibilities seriously and establish a coordinated and consistent approach to supporting hostages and their families."

Elaine Weinstein said her husband devoted his life to helping the people of Pakistan, and she was disappointed that the government and military there did not do more to get his release.

"Warren's safe return should have been a priority for them based on his contributions to their country, but they failed to take action earlier in his captivity when opportunity presented itself, instead treating Warren's captivity as more of an annoyance than a priority," she said. "I hope the nature of our future relationship with Pakistan is reflective of how they prioritize situations such as these."

Weinstein was abducted from his home in the eastern city of Lahore in August 2011, four days before he was set to leave Pakistan. Gunmen fooled his guards into thinking they were neighbors offering food, then beat Weinstein and tied up his guards.

Weinstein was the country director in Pakistan for J.E. Austin Associates, a U.S.-based consulting firm that helps Pakistani business and government agencies. The firm, based in Arlington, Va., is a contractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The company has said Weinstein worked with government agencies and businesses, creating jobs and raising the standard of living for hundreds of Pakistanis.

Lo Porto, 39, was an aid worker for the German organization Welt Hunger Hilfe, which works to end hunger and poverty across the globe. The Italian newspaper la Repubblica described him as a "brilliant young aid worker" who has worked in central Africa, Haiti and Pakistan. He was kidnapped in January, 2012 soon after he arrived in the city of Multan in northern Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border, to help rebuild the area after severe floods, according to media reports. He was abducted with a German colleague, Bernd Muhlenbeck, who has since been released.

Lo Porto was a popular student when he studied at London Metropolitan University, according to a profile of him in 2013 in The Guardian. His friends told the newspaper that they had launched a petition for his return. A separate petition in Italy that called on Lo Porto's release had been signed by 48,000 people, the newspaper said.

It is not known how long Lo Porto and Weinstein were held together in the same compound.

In a 13-minute video emailed anonymously to reporters in Pakistan in December 2013, Weinstein pleaded for the U.S. government to negotiate his release.

"Nine years ago I came to Pakistan to help my government, and I did so at a time when most Americans would not come here, and now when I need my government it seems that I have been totally abandoned and forgotten," he said. "And so I again appeal to you to instruct your appropriate officials to negotiate my release."

Abducted American appeals for release In a newly released video, an American abducted in Pakistan by al-Qaida more than two years ago says he feels "totally abandoned and forgotten." In the video, Warren Weinstein appeals to President Barack Obama to negotiate his release. (Dec. 26)

The Associated Press reported at the time that it was impossible to tell how much of Weinstein's statement was made under the duress of captivity or was scripted by his captors.

Weinstein wife has said her husband had health problems including a heart ailment, asthma and high blood pressure. During the course of his three and-a-half-year captivity, the family issued statements and called on the Obama administration to negotiate his release.

"He was a gentle man who was in Pakistan to help the people of Pakistan," the family said in a statement after the announcement of his death. The family said he worked "tirelessly" to help others since he began his career as a human rights advocate in 1969.

On the one-year anniversary of his abduction, Elaine Weinstein issued a statement that said, "Our grandchildren are growing and changing so fast. They miss their grandfather and ask for him every day. It is so difficult to explain why he can't be with them. ... It is impossible to describe the pain and sadness my daughters and I feel. We are simply heartsick. I always imagined growing old with Warren and enjoying our family together."

In a statement Thursday, Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland said he and his staff worked for Weinstein's release. "My thoughts and prayers are with the families of Dr. Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto," he said. "Their legacies of altruism, compassion and service to mankind stand in sharp contrast to that of their captors. Their kidnapping and deaths should further unite the international community against the type of extremists who find this deplorable behavior acceptable."

Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikuslki of Maryland called Weinstein's wife and his two daughters, Jen and Alisa, "brave beyond measure."

She said Weinstein dedicated his life to improving conditions for others around the world.

"His legacy is truly immeasurable," she said in a statement. "His humanitarian service, and that of Mr. Lo Porto, stands in stark and shining contrast to the depravity of their captors."