Diplomat's Emails Show Berg in US Custody

AP ^ | 5/13/04

[11th Earl of Mar]

By JASON STRAZIUSO Associated Press Writer

May 13, 2004, 2:39 PM EDT

WEST CHESTER, Pa. -- A U.S. diplomatic official in Iraq told the family of slain American Nicholas Berg in early April that he was being detained by the U.S. military, according to e-mails provided by the family Thursday.

U.S. government officials have said Berg, who was found dead last weekend in Baghdad, was detained by Iraqi police March 24 and was never in the custody of American forces.

He is believed to have been kidnapped within days of his April 6 release by either Iraqi police or coalition forces, and later beheaded by militants who videotaped the slaying.

To back its claims that Berg was in U.S. custody, the family showed The Associated Press an April 1 e-mail from Beth A. Payne, the U.S. consular officer in Iraq.

"I have confirmed that your son, Nick, is being detained by the U.S. military in Mosul. He is safe. He was picked up approximately one week ago. We will try to obtain additional information regarding his detention and a contact person you can communicate with directly," the e-mail said.

In two e-mails later that day, Payne wrote that she was still trying to find a local contact for the family.

Berg's brother, David Berg, called on the government to come clean about its contacts with the slain American before he died. The family has blamed the government for keeping him in custody for too long while anti-American violence escalated in Iraq.

[Romish_Papist]

It's important to add to that list. While his family was anti-war, he himself was a supporter of the war. Or so I have read.

[ASA Vet]

E-mails don't mean crap because they can easily be forged or manipulated.

What?

You mean those hundreds of emails I get daily might not be real?
Should I stop opening them and their attachments?
They all seemed so sincere. ;o(

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Berg's brother, David Berg, called on the government to come clean about its contacts with the slain American before he died.

Okay, David, here's the story.

U.S. agents found Nick wearing a prayer shawl while wandering around a war zone crawling with Islamic extremists, so they took him into protective custody where he was out of harm's way until you raised a self-righteous Liberal stink and got him released into the arms of his peace-loving Islamic extremist executioners.

Happy now?

[carton253]

Thanks for the info...

[gathersnomoss]

Bingo. Why not take Islamics, Liberals and Fat Headed Press for $1,000.00.

[StonyBurk]

Everytime I hear an idolitor speak the evil "AllahAkbar"
I will hear the death cry of the innocent whose blood these
evil people defile the land by shedding. Everytime I hear
of the Israeli Kicking insurgents butts I will Praise The
God God of Abraham ,Isaac, and Israel. The Infidel declared their Jihad(Holy War) in accord with the ramblings of a
bloody madman they call Prophet. But God Hates hands that
shed innocent blood. The shedding of innocent blood defiles
the land--Now I know why the freakin' submitted have lived
under Despotism in utter poverty,and filth. they defile the land.

[sharktrager]

Maybe he was picked up because he had previously let a known terrorist use his email account.

This man's death is tragic and horrid, but it should serve as a warning to Americans not to get involved in these things, because our citizens do not understand exactly how ugly the enemy is.

[OneTimeLurker]

PING

We talked about this last night.

[TomGuy]

As much as I empathize with Mr. Berg and the Berg family's pain at the atrocious death of their son, the Berg's are being disingenuous.

Nick was in Iraq, voluntarily. Blaming the administration, may alleviate some of Berg family's anguish, but they are blaming the wrong party. al-Qaeda terrorists killed his son.


Senior Berg is active in ANSWER, so his anti-war stance is understandable, but don't be disingenuous and blame the administration.

Nick Berg, from the bio articles, seemed like a very nice, humane, genuine, adventurous young man. What happened to him is an atrocity. Senior Berg and family should lay blame with the right party--the Islamofanatics.

[Miss Marple]

Is the only source for his support of President Bush the family? I am wondering if he really did support the war, or if this is simply something to explain why he was in Iraq. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. And I just now found out there is an uncle in Iraq.

[js1138]

While his family was anti-war, he himself was a supporter of the war.

Yes, but which side? What company did he keep?

I may be unusual, but I'm not Jewish with relatives in Iraq, and to the best of my knowledge, my AQ roommate has never used or misused my email account.

[gathersnomoss]

The press is spewing this 24x7. I will not watch TV, including FOX. Where is there head lately?

[gathersnomoss]

Does this mean that even being related to a liberal could possibly get you killed? Nice family.

I'm sorry Nick!

[monkeywrench]

They aren't just blaming the administration, the brother told them to "come clean". That's a lefty tactical attack. It tells me, that something big and nasty is about to come out on nick and or his family and their commie cohorts.

[saquin]

Can anyone provide me with a link to the info that he let a terrorist use his email account (or cellphone)? This is the first I've heard of this.

[js1138]

Everything being said by all sides has layers of possible interpretations. There will be a movie of this, with Hollywood, of course, getting it wrong.

If he was a spy for us, why did the FBI question him. If for them, why did they kill him? Maybe he was just a bystander that everyone thought was a spy.

[js1138]

Wish I could give you a link, but I read it only on FR, attributed to FOX. There's a video on foxnews.com that I haven't watched.

[oceanview]

more info on this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1134913/posts

I don't see how he could have been CIA, and not taken a chance to leave the country. Nobody is under that deep.

[HeadOn]

Yeah. I've met lots of nice people from Nigeria. Several of them are offering me money!

[lilylangtree]

The family's sorrow we all can understand. There are questions that need answering and I agree with darkwing's assessment about a lawsuit on the horizon, a multi-million dollar one at least.