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.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

You're a good guy. I figured you did.

[VOA]

bump

[Travis McGee]

Indeed it does.

[miss marmelstein]

I don't agree with your theory - but I appreciate the fact that you, too, have the feeling that this is not the cut and dried "torture" scandal it's cracked up to be. And I never focused on the fact that the prisoners were unshackled (except for the poodle leash!). My particular point was that their physiques were not those of suffering, starving, innocent prisoners but of muscular young fighting men. Dangerous men.

[OldFriend]

If I may steal a line from a quote and add my own opinion.

WE HAVE SEEN THE ENEMY, AND IT ISN'T US

May we never ever become what we hate, rightfuly, so much in 'them'.

[sam_paine]

Grow up.

What are you talking about? Watching this gruesome video gives them more power to infect the viewer with their sub-human morality. I can see the view that says "show it to know it" but I see a different side, "don't stoop." I accept your apology in advance.

[rageaholic]

ALLAHU AKBAR! = HEIL HITLER! MEIN KAMPF = MEIN KORAN

I appreciate the sentiment, however Hitler at least had the self-respect to shoot himself in his bunker. Arabs are totally spineless.

[lepton]

bookmark bump

[Imperialist]

So sick of Islam!

[Moby Grape]

99% of so-called pacifist are simply cowards who hide behind their so-called progressive thinking....

I am glad I live in a country where brave men and women do what must be done so that folks like you can spew silly tripe,(you are over the top with assertions of what I meant or mean) although I do AGREE with you about the over the top silly crap about MELTING IRAQ with nukes, although much of it is just expressions of anger, not a call to a policy.

[Travis McGee]

Good point.

[bvw]

Pearl was beheaded ... no CBS pictures "provoking them" then.

Russian soldiers beheaded ... no CBS pictures "provoking them" then.

Blaming CBS is excusing those filthy scum coward bastard sons of dogs.

[bvw]

You are right. Do fuss with those who disagee on that point though -- emotions are hot at this time.

[bvw]

do NOT fuss. They are friends and countymen -- reserve your all your anger for the real murdering scums.

[Reagan Man]

It's juvenile to place the Dixie Chicks public antics in the same paragraph with the heinous murder of Nick Berg. Hope that clarifies things for ya.

If you allow this to somehow infect you, that is your problem. Reality can be ugly at times and the world remains a dangerous place to live. Most American's understand those facts.

[spokeshave]

Notice the islamics didn't do the same to the Japanese "tourists" held a while ago then released

[lepton]

Along with the pictures were reports that said as much, thereby tarnishing the entire military and making them targets, which was why Myers asked CBS to hold off on airing the photos. CBS doesn't listen to Myers at all. Remember she tried to get the raping of Juanita Broderick by Clinton story she did aired and they wouldn't do it until after the impeachment hearings were over. For the life of me I don't know why she stays with them.

You're mixing Myers. Lisa Meyers is the one who did the Juanita Broaddrick story. General Myers is the one who asked CBS to delay showing the prison pictures.

[NCLaw441]

You said: 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.


That makes sense, except that the stated reason for the beheading of Mr. Berg was the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners. That mistreatment took place in January 2004, at the latest. It was the media trumpeting of it in the last 2 weeks that resulted in his recent death. Might Berg have died anyway? Perhaps. Did the media virtually assure his death? Probably.

[NCLaw441]

You said: 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.

But their stated reason for killing him was the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners. The mistreatment took place many months ago, but his murder corresponds to media publication of the pictures, in the last couple of weeks.

[Spunky]

"You're mixing Myers."

I realized that later when I was reading another article and read "General Meyers." :-)