Berg Died for Bush, Rumsfeld 'Sins' - Father

Reuters ^ | Thu, May 13, 2004 | Reuters

[TSgt]

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The father of Nick Berg, the Pennsylvania contractor beheaded in Iraq (news - web sites), on Thursday directly blamed President Bush (news - web sites) and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for his son's death.

"My son died for the sins of George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld. This administration did this," Berg said in the interview with radio station KYW-AM.

In the radio interview from outside his home in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a seething Michael Berg also said his son probably would have felt positive even about his executioners until the last minute.

"I am sure that he only saw the good in his captors until the last second of his life," Berg said.

Then, referring to his son's executioners, he said: "They did not know what they were doing. They killed their best friend."

Two days after the publication of a video showing the execution of his son by five masked men, Berg attacked Bush administration for its invasion of Iraq and its sponsorship of the Patriot Act, which gave increased powers of surveillance to the federal government.

Berg described the Patriot Act as a "coup d'etat." He added: "It's not the same America I grew up in."

[righteousindignation]

You give the clearest opinion so far. No Patriotic Christian could say such venomous things about our President and no 'slack' for his grief should enter in especially now when we are all needed to support our side against the terrorists.

[Rushgrrl]

"My son died for the sins of George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld."


that's funny, I thought there was only one "son" that died for the sins of any human being. Guess I was wrong...along with billions of other people. Not sure if this guy thinks too much of HIMSELF or he's just speaking out of distastrously traumatized clouded thinking. I'm hoping for the latter.

[happygrl]

This guy Berg is an immoral jerk who is using his son's vile murder to score political points on behalf of the democrat party, aided and abetted by the media, who are almost directly responsible for the murder anyway.

I agree with you completely.

One of the things about the Left is that they substitute political passion for religious faith. When something like this happens, they only have their Old Leftist Canards to fall back on, and they verbalize in those terms. Everything in life is viewed through the lens of the Political Left.

It is a terrible way to Live and Die.

[Piranha]

No Patriotic Christian could say such venomous things about our President

So you have a problem with what he said because he's a Jew?

[Piranha]

By the way, welcome to Free Republic. Did you come to stir up trouble?

[ironman]

"This guy is in the custody of the CIA/FBI and then as soon as he is released he is beheaded by al Qiada"

False and False.
FBI Saw Berg Three Times During Iraq Police Detention (he was never in US custody) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1134183/posts

Released April 6, hangs around for several days, visits internet lobby in hotel, last communicates with Parents April 9.

[Velveeta]

I still feel compelled to give Mr. Berg a pass for whatever he says and does during this stage of the grieving process.

Let him rant and rave. The truth will prevail in the end.

Out of respect for Nick Berg, we should be more respectful of Mr. Berg's heightened emotions at this time.

In other words, give the guy a break, it's too fresh right now.

[badbass]

I just think it shows how people are so naive that they actually believe that all people are good or even have some good in them. Some people have no good in them, are not capable of doing what is good and are so depraved that no one is going to get through.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. After hearing that this poor guy was Jewish, traveling around Iraq unescorted/protected, and the comment from his Dad about seeing the good in his captors, I truly believe the young man died of naivete. I see this kind of stupid naive behavior and theories around me everyday, and it just boggles my mind.

As a father myself, I believe it is my duty to make sure my daughter is brought up to not be this naive. His dad evidently failed him; I can only hope I don't fail my daughter this badly. I believe that this type of education is a man's first reponsibility to his children.

[Puddleglum]

He's speaking from his grief, I guess. I would not wish the son's or father's fate on anyone. Maybe when he has had time to reflect, the father will more clearly identify the hands that wielded the knife and the fact that the murderers acted rationally, without compulsion, and of the cold malice of their own free will. If we are not free then murder is not tragedy and murderers are not villains.

[mizzmouse]

I think the poor man was highly drugged, I can't imagine why he did not scream ALOT more before being....Decappitated. Am *I* the only one who who saw WHITE hands? On the left, a basic " soldier standing at attention " pose?
Anyone notice a MAJOR relalapse in time? On the tape? Why was an Arab reading a transcript? Refereing to the same page over and over? Why.if YOU were fighting for your life...( graphic) why did the body *itself* no t move???
Because he was already toast. It was staged. Why was it realeased to the media to begin with? Why was he in an Orange jumpsuit? Do they sell them at Sears in Iraq? Why were the men ..on the run.....SO well fed?
Quit asking questions.and you stop getting answers. There was ALOT wrong.
I BEG of all of you....Don't be close minded.....

[My Favorite Headache]

Michael Berg can F- right off.

[clintonh8r]

The guy is insane with grief. If he still feels the same way a month from now, then he's just another America-hating Democrat. His son will have died serving a cause his father hates. Daddy will just have to live with it.

[Rushgrrl]

"traveling around Iraq unescorted/protected"

I think this was probably a big mistake, but logically, a lot of people don't consider or don't think about this as a "war" situation. People now have no concept of what war really is. The thought of going into the middle of Germany in say, 1944 to look for work, is that something someone would even come CLOSE to considering?? I highly doubt it. Granted, that was a world war and this isn't..but still, war is war and I think people are forgetting that point. This isn't a normal street-violence type of situation. Michael Berg has no business blaming anyone but the animals that did this treacherous act.

[aruanan]

Berg Died for Bush, Rumsfeld 'Sins' - Father

There's someone a lot closer to Berg than Bush who is more directly responsible for his death and Berg's dad looks at him in the mirror every morning.

[happygrl]

If you don't like what people are saying here, you can always leave the thread.

It's not YOUR place to tell people to shut up.

It is apparent that you have no concept of the strategic thinking that President Bush's foreign policy of fighting the enemy on their own ground entails.

No one here would think that it follows, iptso facto, that sending your son/daughter to Iraq means getting their heads cut off. It does mean that by engaging the Jihad in Iraq, we will keep the enemy occupied on the other side of the world, rather than giving them the free time to plan another 9-11.

[righteousindignation]

Of course I should have included American Jews as Patriots if indeed they support our country as many of my fine Jewish friends do! The name Piranha is a bit disconcerting if one does not wish to stir up trouble, and there is no need to attack me to make your point about my oversight, although I can understand your sensitivity and do apologize. I am inclined to be a Zionist myself!!

[Steve_Seattle]

"The more I read about this the odder it becomes. Nothing will change my feelings about Berg's fate but between his father's remarks and his own careless wandering through Iraq, one can't help but scratch their heads."

Yes, the whole thing about why the Iraqi police detained Berg had been murky from the get-go. Is it possible that he secretly shared his father's views and was working in some way against the coalition?