salon.com contacts DFU over FR's role in murder of Nick Berg by Islamofascist Terrorist b*st*rds

email from salon.com reporter | 5-12-04 | dfu

[doug from upland]

(Note to Admin Moderator: if trolls join this thread to disrupt it or cause problems for FR, please immediately remove stupid, foolish, numbskull, airheaded, threatening, nonsensical comments.)

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Apparently, I am in the middle of a controversy regarding the brutal murder of Nick Berg by the Islamofascist terrorist b*st*rds.

I received the following FReepmail today from a salon.com reporter and spoke to him off the record. I will either call him back on the record or he can use my comments here on the record.

Salon.com inquiry, your post on the "enemies list"
From (redacted) | 05/12/2004 11:45:13 AM PDT read

Doug,

Hello. My name is (redacted), and I'm a reporter at Salon.com. On March 7, you posted a list of signatories to an ANSWER protest; that list, which is now being discussed by a few left-leaning bloggers, includes the name of "Michael S. Berg," who is the father of Nick Berg, the man beheaded in Iraq.

It seems as if you just posted a copy of the list from the ANSWER site, but the trouble is, your list appears much longer than the one on their page. Michael Berg's name -- and many others -- is not on their page.

So I wonder if you can tell me where you got your list -- have you any idea why yours is longer than the one they have?

I also wonder what you think about the fact that you named these people enemies; do you really think they're enemies? Some people on left-leaning blogs are floating the theory that Nick Berg was detained or singled out by U.S. authorities in Iraq because of the list you posted. I wonder what you think of that idea?

I'm not trying to attack you; I'm a reporter trying to get to the bottom of this story, and it'd be great to get your input. Can you e-mail or call, or let me know where to reach you? Thanks so much.

--(redacted)
Reporter, Salon.com (phone number redacted)

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NOTE: my first suggestion was to tell the report to ask ANSWER why many of the names have been removed from that original post.

Here is my post from a few months ago -- HERE IS THE ENEMY -- they have posted their names

Here is the link for the following excerpt on an FR thread -- Beheaded Man's Firm Was On Right-Wing 'Enemies' List

Original source -- original article by Fintan Dunne

Beheaded Man's Firm Was On Right-Wing 'Enemies' List
Breakfornews.com ^ | May 12, 2004 | Fintan Dunne
Posted on 05/12/2004 12:59:00 PM PDT by Tarantulas
Beheaded Man's Firm Was On Right-Wing 'Enemies' List

The family firm of beheaded American Nick Berg, was named by a conservative website in a list of 'enemies' of the Iraq occupation. That could explain his arrest by Iraqi police --a detention which fatally delayed his planned return from Iraq and may have led directly to his death.

Nick Berg, 26 disappeared into incommunicado detention after his arrest by Iraqi police in March, 2004. He vanished again after his release 13 days later. His body was found last Saturday in Baghdad, and a video of his beheading --supposedly by a radical Islamic group-- was posted on the Internet on Tuesday.

The official story of his gruesome murder has many dubious aspects, not least the real reason why Iraqi police detained the young man at a checkpoint. New research by BreakForNews has uncovered a plausible explanation.

The FreeRepublic.com web site and forum has a reputation for right-wing views, often fanatical Republican and relentless pro-war activism.

On 7th March, 2004, just three weeks before the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, an 'enemies' list of anti-war groups and individuals was posted on the Free Republic forum.

It began: "Here you are, FReepers. Here is the enemy."

The list had been copied from publicly available endorsements of a call to action for an imminent anniversary antiwar protest on 20th March, 2004. The protest was being organized under the banner of the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism).

Among those listed as having endorsed the call to action was this entry: "Michael S. Berg, Teacher, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, Inc."

That's Nick Berg's father, Michael who acts as business manager for his son in their family radio communications firm, Prometheus Methods Tower Service.

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Here is my immediate reaction --- what is the color of the sky in the fantasy world which Fintan Dunne calls home?

I can't wait for her next story. Let's set the scenario. Two guys are driving to the airport. Their upper radiator hose bursts, the car overheats, and they miss their flight. They get to the airport a few hours late and are able to catch the next plane. The plane crashes. Fintan Dunne headline: Pep Boys Implicated in Death of Innocent Travelers. If anyone could conceive such twisted logic, it would be Ms. Dunne. Without a defective radiator hose, they would have made it to the airport on time. Without a defective radiator hose they would not have been on the flight where the shoebomber detonated his loafers in the seat just behind the wing.

Do we have an official "enemies list"? If so, what do we do to them? Who is keeping track?

I will let you make some comments before I make additional on the record comments. Please don't be crazy. Think through your argument carefully. Some of this may appear on salon.com and we can perhaps help them get up to about 2 cents per share.

[doug from upland]

APRIL 24:
March & Rally to free Mumia Abu-Jamal in Philadelphia. Imprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal has played a central leadership role from his death row cell in the global anti-war movement in the last two years. Mumia - the victim of a police frame-up and widespread prosecutorial and judicial misconduct - has, through his writings and speeches, provided one of the most compelling analysis of the Bush administration's war drive in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Mumia has stood with the Iraqi people and all of those in the United States and around the world who have mobilized against Bush's imperialist war drive. It is essential that the anti-war movement stand in solidarity in the struggle to win his freedom. The activity on April 24, Mumia's 50th birthday, will take place at 10 am at 52nd and Pine St. in Philadelphia. In addition to promoting the April 24 Philadelphia action, the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition will be organizing an anti-war contingent in the demonstration. For more information: www.mumia.org, 215-476-8812 or 212-633-6646.

[Howlin]

Well, I'm confused; are the terrorists taking orders from us now?

Doug, this is a bunch of HOR$E$HIT!

Remember, these are the people who want to expose every single thing in the world, except, of course, themselves.

[mhking]

You've gotta be kidding!

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Peach]

I've freepmailed some of our best detectives on FR who can help out.

The left will stop at nothing to gain control and power and we ain't seen nothing yet.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Islamofascist terrorist b*st*rds

You tripped the libs up by calling them that. The left thinks of the terrorists as oppressed lovable brown Smurfs who only need a hug to change their evil ways.

[cyncooper]

I also wonder what you think about the fact that you named these people enemies; do you really think they're enemies?

Well, I wonder if this reporter and the denizens of "left-leaning blogs" consider US to be "the enemy"?

It certainly appears to be the case...

(US meaning "us", not U.S., though that, too)

[Unknown Freeper]

What do the now-missing names have in common?

[razorback-bert]

Just further proof the left has more and better dope than us.

[ladyinred]

ANSWER's member list includes known communists and anarchists I indeed consider them the enemies of this government. Salon should too, shouldn't they?

[Publius6961]

I am assuming that the original list, apparently since modified at the original site, was cut and pasted onto the FR post. There is no way to document any subsequent changes.

If, on the other hand, the entire page(s)were saved, then they can deny it all they want.

[gitmo]

There's a story floating around the Rat circles that Berg wasn't murdered by Iraqis, that it was CIA playing dress-up. Could they possibly be tring to tie a CIA hit to his father's anti-war activities??

[litany_of_lies]

I think it is very possible that the Islamofascists:
- Knew of Nick Berg's father's ANSWER affiliation
- Knew that the father was more than just a show-up flunky for ANSWER.
- Believed that be killing Nick they would get a free and visible spokesperson for withdrawing from Iraq.

May be giving the idiots too much credit for coherent thought, but when you Google...

Michael Berg ANSWER

...the third listing is about a March of "tens of thousands" in Washington again the war in Washington:

http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/26/content_275615.htm

The last paragraph reads as follows:

"Something we have to realize is there might not be a good solution in Iraq. There might not be democracy with or without Americans," said South Carolina teacher Michael Berg, who favors a greater role for the United Nations (news - web sites) in Iraq.

(Sidebar: reporter probably made a factual mistake about Berg's home state, OR Berg lied about it to sound like he had come from farther distance.)

It could even be worse:
- Is it possible that the ANSWER folks are in active communication or beyond with the Islamofascists:
- Could it be that Dad is more than just a useful idiot in ANSWER?
- Could Dad know who had kidnapped his son?

Some of the implications beyond this are too morbid to consider.

I further believe that the attempt to smear FR is designed to distract from anyone investigating a possible ANSWER-Islanofascism connection, which my instincts tell me is there.

ANSWER may be more than the enemy. They may be ENEMY COMBATANTS.

[mac_truck]

I received the following FReepmail today from a salon.com reporter and spoke to him off the record.

Why?

[Dog]

Doug ....do me a favor from now on.....only speak to this reporter in the OPEN.....do not allow him to get away with freepmail.

[cyncooper]

And yet, no explanation, plausible or otherwise, follows.

I noticed that. Their regular readers (cough) must be used to such "logic".

[doug from upland]

FINTAN m
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: FIN-tan
Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fionntán, which possibly means either "white fire" or "white bull" in Gaelic.

Gee, I thought Fintan was a female. I certainly understand the "bull" part.

[Cold Heat]

Salon should too, shouldn't they?

A distinction without a difference!

[billhilly]

"If this salon.com writer is interested in the truth,............."HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

COUGH, GAG.

[Cold Heat]

The missing names are likely people who have had their names removed because of the publicity.

[ladyinred]

You have been holding out on us Doug, we had no idea you had so much influence with the FBI.:-) I do think the dumbing down of America is starting to come home to roost. That this "reporter" could seriously believe this is just amazing.

It seems to me that ANSWER doesn't want it known that this Father signed on to their list. Any rational person could conclude that, but a leftist certainly doesn't want to think anything bad of a fellow comrade. Especially when they can blame a conservative!