American beheaded in Iraq

[Wild Angel]

I also think many of the Middle eastern Islamic people would be very offended to think people in America thoguht they could be made to turn against their religion and their ways with money. They would be determined never to let it happen. And they might just kill you for trying.

 

[melon]

But wasn't Muhammed Atta's father a wealthy Cairo physician?

Again, a minority. There are some people who are more principled. They are in the minority. If you are looking for exceptions to the rule, you will always find them; but they are not the typical profile of an Al-Qaeda militant. Maybe the leadership, but they are a whole different monster. If the Middle East were more stable to begin with, they wouldn't have felt the need to be so "empathetic."

They DO hate us because they are not like us. But they don't want to be like us. They hate what we are. We are against their religion, and they would feel they would be damned forever for being like us.

Sure, if America started writing checks, they'd, of course, be against it. That's why it has to be a lot more subtle. Make it appear as if their governments are responsible for making them more prosperous. Something can be done to encourage prosperity in these nations. Slapping on sanctions, while it looks good, isn't necessarily the correct option. If the U.S. slapped sanctions on Iran, for instance, it would be counterproductive, as it would turn the population against the U.S.

Melon

 

[Rono]

Iraqi humiliated in prison - how horrible!

American jew beheaded - praise Allah!


We are a long way from peace

Please do not confuse that humiliation and torture with more civilized,...

 

[Maeve]

My deepest sympathies and love to the Berg family.

 

[Sue DeNym]

Of course these murders say "revenge" but that's no excuse treating an innocent man that way.
And where can be revenge if you murder somebody just because he has the same nationality than somebody who murdered a friend of you?

Exactly. This is not "revenge", it's sick, savage evil. The wicked men who committed this awful deed are no followers of God.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Berg family. What hell they must be going through.

 

[Justified]

I can't even tell you how sad and mad this horrific story made me yesterday. My heart and prayers go out to the Berg family.

 

[deep]

U.S. Officials Failed to Protect Slain Civilian, Family Says

By RICHARD LEZIN JONES and JILL P. CAPUZZO

Published: May 13, 2004


EST WHITELAND, Pa., May 12 ? The family of Nicholas E. Berg challenged American military officials on Wednesday, insisting that the man beheaded by Islamic terrorists in Iraq had earlier been in the custody of federal officials who should have done more to protect him.

Mr. Berg's brother, David, emerged from the family's split-level house in this Philadelphia suburb with a four-page e-mail message that he said his younger brother, Nicholas, had sent hours after being freed on April 6 from a jail in Mosul, Iraq.

The Iraqi police took Nicholas Berg, 26, into custody on March 24 and held him in a jail that he described in the message as managed by Iraqis with oversight from United States Military Police forces. He wrote that federal agents had questioned his reasons for being in Iraq, whether he had ever built a pipe bomb or had been in Iran.

"They can detain him and deny him his basic civil rights of a lawyer, a phone call or even a charge for 13 days, but they can't get him" on a plane, David Berg said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/13/national/13BERG.html?pagewanted=print&position=

 

[nbcrusader]

U.S. Offered Berg a Flight Out of Iraq

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government warned a young American to leave Iraq, and offered him a flight out of the country, a month before his grisly beheading was broadcast on an al-Qaida-linked Web site, officials said.

From the AP

Apparently, Berg turned down the offer.

 

[oliveu2cm]

I believe that, unless America and the rest of the Western nations are serious about raising education levels and ending poverty for third-world nations, we will never have peace. Never. And I think that neither America nor the rest of the West is serious about entertaining this concept ever, because it would involve far more than shooting "terrorists" and throwing money at the situation.

I don't think this could ever happen...not unless a severe "reality check" happens w/ the big leaders of the Western Nations (hmm.. one would have thought 9/11/01 was a big reality check...) I think there is a fear about giving education to Middle Easterners: fear it will take jobs away from Westerners, Middle East might rise to dominate, or what have you. It's too bad they can't be educated enough to allow their country to thrive by their own resources and industry and become our partners rather than enemies.

 

[oliveu2cm]

Also, my most sincere sympathies to the Berg family. What a horrible, horrible tragedy.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I would never judge or blame his family one bit for what they are saying about why it happened-they are obviously in complete anguish and grief, and have every right to say whatever they want.

But where does it get us blaming the US govt-in my mind, it just takes the focus/responsibility off the SOBs who did it.

I saw a news story yesterday that said there are over 30 civilians missing over there. God help them all

Nick Berg also had previously done work in Ghana..I'm sure he was quite a guy. Rest in Peace Nick

 

[nbcrusader]

It looks like the beheading even crossed the line in some Arab states.

Three Arab states condemn American's beheading

(CNN) -- Three Arab states -- Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates --- are condemning the beheading of American Nicholas Berg by his Iraqi captors, shown in a video that appeared on an Islamist Web site.

 

[verte76]

Jean Sasson, one of my favorite American writers (she is a native of Alabama, in fact, and still lives in the South) lived and worked in the Middle East for twelve years. She has many friends in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other Arab countries. She says she would not like these people if they weren't nice. She was flooded with e-mails and phone calls from Saudi Arabia after 9/11. One Saudi complained that the terrorists "had stabbed me in the heart". They were outraged and particularly upset that so many Saudis were mixed up in the deal. The flip side of the coin of all the evil we've seen lately is that wherever you go you'll also find decent, kind and humane people. There are good apples along with the bad. These people are outraged and upset with the monsters who did this beheading.

 

[BluberryPoptart]

Exactly. This is not "revenge", it's sick, savage evil. The wicked men who committed this awful deed are no followers of God. [/QUOTE[

and it wasn't even 'revenge' for a murder, it was supposed to be revenge for the humiliation of the Iraqi prisoners. But killing someone especially in that brutal way makes the punishment far far outweigh the crime. They are crazy and evil.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Berg family. What hell they must be going through.

They will never be the same. This will haunt them for the rest of their lives. What a nightmare

 

[KristenF]

I just cannot begin to explain how deeply this murder disturbed me. I simply can't imagine the sheer terror this poor man must have felt and the horrific pain he had to have experienced. It absolutely sickens me that these animals commit these atrocities in the name of God. May God look after Nick Berg's family and may he send these terrorist bastards to hell.
I don't think things are ever going to get better because you can't catch all of them & even if you could, there would be a whole new crop of crazies ready to take their place.

 

[Scarletwine]

Bless Nick's family. Now the conspiracy theorists are bust at work.

http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?disc=149495;article=54893;title=APFN

"...the CIA did it to take the heat off the Pentagon"--NBC reporter stated tonight prime time news, continuing, "...a story that will not die easily here in the Arab world".
NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, May 12th

Thus said the reporter from NBC News already "innoculating" the public against this reasonable "conspiracy theory" being promulgated by more questioning minds in both America and overseas. BUT IT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD!

1. Both Drudge and Aljazeera report that "??A body found on Monday by US military patrol along a roadside over the weekend was identified as Berg's."
ALJAZEERA
Note the confused reporting in this direct quote, "on Monday", "over the weekend", by US military patrol. Was it found on Monday or over the weekend--which one? Does this make sense to anyone? Or was someone scrambling a press release (in panic) of wording that was hastily contrived, and uncertain themselves about how the facts would compare to the report. VAGUE TIMING BEGS THE QUESTION, WHEN WAS THIS BODY REALLY FOUND?

Secondly, how was the body identified as "Berg's", if it was headless? Or was it? How do you quickly identify a body without a head?

Third, WHO were the U.S. forces that found it? Were they the same ones involved in his illegal detention?

2. Here is the smoking gun: If the body was found on Monday (May 10th), or previously "over the weekend" (prior), how could the execution and video be taped on May 11th, as is reported?


Wild

 

[Klaus]

Scarletwine:
after a short search i to other interesting facts:

There is a organisation called freerepublic.com and they have a "enemy list" and Michael S. Berg is listed with the company of his son "Prometheus Methods Tower Service Inc."

Joyce Miller, Professor, City University of New York
Michael S. Berg, Teacher, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, Inc.,
West Chester, PA
Kathryn Myers, Teacher, Cuesta College, Paso Robles, CA

al
Jazeera

However, the circumstances of the video release are also strange. A Reuters journalist in Dubai first named the Muntada al-Ansar al-Islami website as the source for the video ? at www.al-ansar.biz.

Although the site has now been shut down, Aljazeera.net looked at the site within 90 minutes of the story breaking ? and could find no such video footage.

I never questioned the source/the content of the video yet and call me naive, but i can't believe that any US government organisation could do this.

 

[meegannie]

It absolutely sickens me that these animals commit these atrocities in the name of God.

I completely understand the disgust and outrage at this video and acts like this, and share those feelings, but I think it's extremely dangerous to EVER reduce another human being to the status of an 'animal' (or even the use of the word 'animal' with such a connotation, but that's beside the point!) or to categorically denounce someone or a group as 'evil.' That's exactly what the people whose acts are being condemned do -- regard others as subhuman and therefore have little difficulty in humiliating or killing them. It just perpetuates a cycle of violence and hate.

 

[kobayashi]

It just perpetuates a cycle of violence and hate.

eye for an eye and we both end up blind.

 

[Wild Angel]

I know the family is very upset but I don't see how they can blame the administration like they do. The whole war is their fault, but this guy was over there on his own with no support system which was very dangerous. I have heard many many reports on the news of foreigners being asked to leave the country for their own safety so he went of his own free will and he stayed of his own free will. If he ever wanted to come home bad enough he could have flagged down a US convoy like the escaped prisoner did. With the military presence we have over there they can't be hard to find.

The soldiers who died over there were sent with no choice by the government but I have yet to hear one of their families blame the administration even though technically they could. I think Nick was a brave young man who thought he could take care of himself, and maybe one of those ambitious young people who think they are invincible. His story is a tragedy.

 

[Seabird]

I just cannot begin to explain how deeply this murder disturbed me. I simply can't imagine the sheer terror this poor man must have felt and the horrific pain he had to have experienced. It absolutely sickens me that these animals commit these atrocities in the name of God. May God look after Nick Berg's family and may he send these terrorist bastards to hell.
I don't think things are ever going to get better because you can't catch all of them & even if you could, there would be a whole new crop of crazies ready to take their place.

I know a guy who watched the video. He said they stuck a knife in his neck, but it wouldn't come off, and they pulled it off. That is so chilling. What a hideous thing to do to a person. What pain and terror he must have felt.

I am sorry but I do not care what happens to those Iraqi extremists. Nothing we could do to them would be bad enough for those sick bastards.

 

[KristenF]

I know a guy who watched the video. He said they stuck a knife in his neck, but it wouldn't come off, and they pulled it off. That is so chilling. What a hideous thing to do to a person. What pain and terror he must have felt.

I am sorry but I do not care what happens to those Iraqi extremists. Nothing we could do to them would be bad enough for those sick bastards.

I completely agree with you. I'm all for world peace, but you can't deal logically & peacefully with these nuts. Anyone that could do something so hideous to another human being is not even of the same species as the rest of us.

 

[Seabird]

True

 

[Angela Harlem]

There is no undoing the sheer terror Nick Berg would have experienced in his last moments. There is no undoing the nightmares his family are going to have for probably the rest of their natural lives. We can only hope and pray that his family can one day grieve in peace and that Nick Berg's actual last moments were not of prolonged pain and suffering.

 

[anitram]

The soldiers who died over there were sent with no choice by the government but I have yet to hear one of their families blame the administration even though technically they could.

They have. I remember vividly one father on CNN saying it was Bush who took his son away, not the Iraqis. It was early on in the start of the war, I remember it was a young African American soldier who died and his family was livid.

 

[verte76]

They have. I remember vividly one father on CNN saying it was Bush who took his son away, not the Iraqis. It was early on in the start of the war, I remember it was a young African American soldier who died and his family was livid.

I remember this. The father held up a picture of his son in front of the TV cameras and said "Take a look at this, George Bush, you took him away from us".

 

[STING2]

I remember this. The father held up a picture of his son in front of the TV cameras and said "Take a look at this, George Bush, you took him away from us".

I also saw that same father on TV a day or two later taking back the statement he made saying he was simply overwhelmed by events.

 

[Scarletwine]

There are many military families against the occupation of Iraq.
And many have spoken out about losing their family members.

http://www.mfso.org/

 

[verte76]

I also saw that same father on TV a day or two later taking back the statement he made saying he was simply overwhelmed by events.

Oh, OK. I can understand being overwhelmed, when you've just gotten news like that.

 

[STING2]

There are many military families against the occupation of Iraq.
And many have spoken out about losing their family members.

http://www.mfso.org/

I have seen them and they are in the minority.