Family of Beheaded U.S. Man Releases Statement

yahoo news ^ | 5 11 04 | reuters

[freepatriot32]

frame grab taken from web site video footage May 11, 2004, shows a man, who identified himself as Nick Berg of Philadelphia (C) seated in front of his five masked captors moments before he was executed. Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq beheaded an American civilian and vowed more killings in revenge for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, an Islamist Web site said on Tuesday. After one of the masked men read out a statement, they pushed Berg to the floor and shouted 'God is greatest' above his screams as one of them sawed his head off with a large knife then held it aloft for the camera. (Reuters Tv/Reuters)

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (Reuters) - The family of Nick Berg, the 26-year-old American civilian beheaded in Iraq (news - web sites), said on Tuesday they were devastated by his death.

In a statement read on the lawn of the Berg family's home in West Chester, Pennsylvania, 15 miles west of Philadelphia, neighbor and friend John Hauser described Nick Berg as "a great kid."

"The Berg family is devastated by this loss," the statement said. "They want to extend their sympathy to other families who have also suffered. They are asking the army to expedite the release of Nick's body so they can make arrangements and put this behind them."

Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq beheaded Berg and vowed more killings in revenge for the "Satanic degradation" of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of U.S. troops, an Islamist Web site said on Tuesday.

[TommyDale]

Over 50% of Americans opposed the war without a second UN resolution"..

Can you cite this poll? Your numbers are just wrong. Maybe over 50% of DEMOCRATS...

[HitmanLV]

I agree that the publication of the pictures led to an atmosphere that caused the death of Berg.

I have to say, however, that the pictures would not exist if a few morons decided not to take the pics in the first place.

The media acted predictably - what major media outlet would never run that story? It's reasonable to expect that a media outlet would run these photos: they are largely against the war, combative with the administration, and always eager to embarass the military.

The editorial decision is a no-brainer. Blame firmly rests on those who are featured in the pics, and woever took them.

[The Right Stuff]

Mama, so sorry to hear about your daughter. Prayers for you and your family.

[BadAndy]

"Is there no sense of proportionality?"

Apparently not, we humiliate them, they decapitate us. As if they needed a reason to decapitate Americans. They have done this before, and few prisoners of the Islamofanatics survive.
The truth is that wars are not won by proportionate responses. The Israelis have been playing that game with these fanatics for decades. They must be crushed and beaten so badly that they know they are beaten. Then there will be peace, and they will become prosperous and free, like the Japanese, Germans, etc. Your tit for tat approach will lead to nothing but endless war, and will result in the deaths of more Americans than the total war strategy.

[mrustow]

Please forgive me for the interruption and for the typeface, but we need all FReepers, their friends, lovers, enemies, relatives, spouses, exes, acquaintances, strangers, debtors, creditors, colleagues, bosses and subordinates to sign The Federalist's petition to save Don Rumsfeld! There are currently 73,344 signatures, but we need at least 250,000, and ideally one million more.

Thank you!

RUMMY Petition

We now return to the regularly scheduled, Religion of Peace thread.

[hunter112]

I've found a copy of the Nick Berg beheading, and I've posted it to my KazaaLite folder for sharing. I first did a search on Kazaa, but didn't find anything, so I decided to get the truth out this way.

The Internet will free us from liberal media noncoverage. America NEEDS to see this!

[HitmanLV]

I agree - America needs to see this and more.

[sam_paine]

HEAR HEAR! I don't watch Blixie Chicks videos, why would I watch what Al Zarqawi wants me to see?

[Reagan Man]

Grow up.

[OldFriend]

Berg was detained by Iraqi police. None of the story makes sense.

The father seems to think that his son was the responsibilty of the US government.

There is much here that is not known but count on the left to spin this against us every step of the way.

[NCLaw441]

I don't deny that original responsibility lies with the soldiers who did these things. Those things were done many months ago, and actions were begun in January to investigate and punish those responsible. Nick Berg did not die until AFTER the media, including CBS, made the editorial decision to publish them. This was their choice, and but for the media's actions, I do not believe Nick Berg would have been decapitated as he was.....

[papertyger]

Common media fabrication to pacify the english-speaking public. "Allah Akbar" does not mean "God is greatest," though at it's closer than the normal lie that it means "God is great." The correct arabic word for "great" would be "kibir." Allah Akbar means Allah is greater.

It takes no imagination to figure out whose "God," Allah is suppose to be greater than.

[weegee]

The real photos and the media's hype of the photos that were "too shocking to show" opened the door for fakes that were more explicit.

The East didn't watch SeeBS, they read their local press.

[newzhawk]

Oh haven't you heard a word the Dems have said about the link of Al Quaeda and Iraq- it is all George Bush's fault- t=he created more terrorists - now they REALLY hate us!!

[ET(end tyranny)]

"Note the family wants to "put this behind them." A very odd statement indeed."

When were the other contractors killed?

[faithincowboys]

NO SHOCK HERE-- THE FAMILY IS LEFTIST AND IS BEHAVING BADLY. YOU JUST GOT TO SHAKE YOUR HEAD. WOULD IT HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH TO HOPE THAT THIS IDIOT FAMILY BLAMED, AS THEY SHOULD, DAN RATHER FOR THEIR SON'S DEATH?

[coop223]

The liberal media has "blood on their hands" for their constant harping on the "prisoner abuse" which caused this horrible act.

[coop223]

The liberal media has "blood on their hands" for their constant harping on the "prisoner abuse" which caused this horrible act.

[HitmanLV]

Yea, well, I'm unsure about that. The 4 civillians who were killed in Fallujah were beaten and murdered mercilessly, and that was weeks before any of this.

So maybe the manner that Berg died was impacted by this incident, but the fact that he died (the idea that 'but for the pictures being publicized, Berg would be alive today') is dubuious, can't be proven, and inconsistent with similar murders that happened independent of the humiliation photos scandal.

[weegee]

Berg might have still been decapitated. No different than the civilians that have been kidnapped or ambushed elsewhere in Iraq.

Even his last name indicates that he could be Jewish. That would be enough to receive a death sentence from Islamofascists.