American Beheading in Iraq Stirs Deep Reactions

Talon News ^ | 5/12/2004 | Jeff Gannon, White House Correspondent

[ConservativeMajority]

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- A radical Islamic website began broadcasting a shocking videotape of the murder of a 26 year-old American on Tuesday, purportedly executed by the infamous al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Nick Berg, from the Philadelphia suburb of West Chester, PA, was last heard from on April 9 prior to his body being found on a Baghdad bridge Saturday. His parents said that their son was a small-business owner who went to Iraq as an independent businessman to help rebuild communication antennas.

Five hooded men appeared in the video behind Berg who was bound and dressed in an orange jumpsuit.

One of his captors read the following statement: "For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the U.S. administration to exchange this hostage with some of the detainees in Abu Ghraib and they refused. So we tell you that the dignity of the Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls. You will not receive anything from us but coffins after coffins ... slaughtered in this way. As for you Bush ... expect severe days. You and your soldiers will regret the day you stepped into the land of Iraq."

Following the statement, Berg is pushed to the floor and held down while his killers deliver five blows to his neck. Berg's screams stop with the third chop and after the fifth his head is hoisted up in front of the camera, eyes still open.

All of the American networks decided against showing the part of the video that shows the decapitation, despite their zeal at showing photographs of alleged abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison. Arabic networks are also showing an edited version of the tape, without the execution.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "This shows the true nature of the people who are opposed to freedom and democracy in the region. Those who carried out this crime will be pursued and brought to justice."

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a member of the Armed Services Committee that has been investigating alleged Iraqi prison abuse, issued a statement Tuesday in which he said, "The beheading of an American by al Qaeda leaders, if confirmed, is a sick and terrible reminder of the evil we face in defending our nation against terror."

"Though it seems these despicable murderers attempted to excuse the brutal slaying of a civilian as a response to American action in Iraq, it is important to remember that these terrorists did not wait for an excuse to kill," Cornyn added. "Just as terrorists did not wait for a reason to kill thousands on 9/11, they will not wait before killing again. They must be, and they will be stopped."

"If there was any doubt as to the need to continue and win the fight against terror, it was erased with that video," Cornyn said.

Outspoken Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) said, "I am eagerly awaiting public apologies and condemnation from leaders in the Arab world expressing their own personal outrage at the barbaric murder of Nick Berg, an innocent civilian. And if such an apology is not forthcoming from the Arab world, their silence should be condemned by the civilized world."

Few statements came from the Arab world or America's traditional allies in Europe. The Washington, DC-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement condemning Berg's murder.

"We condemn this cold-blooded murder and repudiate all those who commit such acts of mindless violence in the name of religion," CAIR said in the statement. "We call on people of all faiths and cultures to work together for peace and reconciliation, not war and destruction."

Bobby Eberle, President and CEO of GOPUSA, a witness to American Airlines Flight 77 crashing into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, told Talon News, "The tragic murder of Nick Berg is a terrible reminder that America is truly at war. We are at war with people who move in the shadows, hide behind masks, and resort to kidnapping and murder to deliver their message."

"My prayers are with Nick Berg's family and our national leaders as they contemplate the next course of action," Eberle added. "This senseless killing dramatically puts into perspective the recent actions of a few misguided Americans -- actions which drew shock and outrage from Democrats and the media. I can only hope they will see that the real enemy is radical Islam. Let's be clear... there is no equivalent between interrogation practices of humiliation and cold-blooded murder."

Likely Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) issued a statement about the beheading.

He said, "Like all Americans, I'm horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless murder of Nicholas Berg. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and with the families of all our troops and civilians working under such dangerous conditions to rebuild and bring peace to Iraq. We are grateful for the work you do and the risks you take. The terrorists who committed this atrocity will not prevail, and America stands together against them."

But Kerry was virtually alone among his fellow Democrats who have recently exhausted their most vitriolic rhetoric in criticizing the Bush administration about the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) said during Tuesday's Armed Services Committee hearing, "As I watch the outrage, this outrage everyone seems to have about the treatment of these prisons, I have to say, and I'm probably not the only one up at this table that is more outraged by the outrage than we are by the treatment."

Inhofe continued, "I'm also outraged by the press and the politicians and the political agendas that are being served by this, and I say political agendas because that's actually what is happening."

He criticized the Kerry campaign for supporting a petition for the ouster of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that is intertwined with a contribution solicitation.

The Oklahoma senator also indirectly rebuked Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) for comments saying the torture at Abu Ghraib didn't end with Saddam Hussein's removal from power, it simply reopened under new management.

"I would guess that these prisoners wake up every morning thanking Allah that Saddam Hussein is not in charge of these prisons," Inhofe said. "When he was in charge, they would take electric drills and drill holes through hands, they would cut their tongues out, they would cut their ears off. We've seen accounts of lowering their bodies into vats of acid."

Several Republicans made a point of issuing statements about the brutal murder.

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) said on the Senate floor, "If anyone wants to know what we're fighting and why we're fighting this war on terror, this is a good example of it."

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said, "It's terrible. It's tragic. These people have no regard for humanity."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, "They're despicable in every way. The challenge is to keep the fight going."

Copyright © 2004 Talon News -- All rights reserved.

[cake_crumb]

"Outspoken Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) said, 'I am eagerly awaiting public apologies and condemnation from leaders in the Arab world expressing their own personal outrage at the barbaric murder of Nick Berg, an innocent civilian. And if such an apology is not forthcoming from the Arab world, their silence should be condemned by the civilized world.' "

GO TANCREDO!

BTW, CAIR condemned the decapitation, not the murder. Nor did they issue an apology to Berg's family. Almost lip service.

[mlbford2]

Enough of this, I'm turning to CNNMSMBCABCNBCCBS to see more outrage pictures of dog collars and human pyramids. This cutting off the head thing is getting old.

[Yardstick]

Berg is pushed to the floor and held down while his killers deliver five blows to his neck. Berg's screams stop with the third chop and after the fifth his head is hoisted up in front of the camera, eyes still open.

Another article (posted on FR) says that more than a minute of hacking was edited out of the video, that the beheading was far clumsier and crueler than the five decisive blows that are shown.

I wonder if the editing was done to make it quicker for a mass audience to view (reducing it to "videobite" size), or to cover up the incompetence and/or cruelty of the executioners. Doesn't Islam require "five blows and a sharp knife" for beheadings? If so, these guys clearly failed that test.

[Yardstick]

...and one certainly wouldn't want to bring shame to Islam by presenting a goofed beheading before the world.

[Travis McGee]

"ALLAHU AKBAR!" = THE MUSLIM CALL TO MURDER

[Yardstick]

Here's the link to the thread I mentioned:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1134136/posts

[Sender]

"This shows the true nature of the people who are opposed to freedom and democracy in the region. Those who carried out this crime will be pursued and brought to justice."

A- Yes this shows the true nature of many people in the region.
B- Freedom and democracy aren't the issues here - Islam is.
C- Lots of nameless, masked killers will be killed. We'll never find the ones who did this. That's OK, we'll get a lot of them.

[CyberCowboy777]

Let there be no mistake, we are fighting pure evil. We can’t call them animals because even animals do not hate and destroy like these vile creatures. These evil men who murder, mutilate and destroy, who’s acts rip and claw at the very core of the human soul, cannot be subdued or placated. They cannot be contained, like rabid dogs they must be eradicated.

This is not a Muslim thing, millions of Muslims live life without a thought of mass murder. This is a culture of death, a sub-set of a faith fouled by death and hate and destruction. Take no heart in numbers though, they few hundreds of thousands, maybe millions have been eating at all that is good for centuries.

They send their children out as bombs, they mutilate their women, they murder innocents and have no human qualities any of us wish to pass to the next generation. They do not hate the US, they hate anybody not like them, and it is only that the US is a convenient target, a target that present itself in an effort to make a better world.

You likely did not see the beheading of Dan Pearl or Nick Berg. The images of the mutilated, burned and abused bodies of Americans hung from that bridge were not shown on the evening news. The pictures of those in the burning towers of 9/11, jumping to their death to escape certain death by fire are seldom viewed. The terrible video of US soldiers being drug through the streets of Mogadishu are gut wrenching.


But this is the face, the real evil face of our enemy. An enemy found in Iraq, Afghanistan, Spain, Russia and even in the United States of America. We cannot turn our eyes from the pain or cover our ears to the screams; we must face with all our courage this common enemy to humankind.

Afghanistan and Iraq are just the beginning; Americans and citizens of the world had better steel their resolve because if we don’t get them, they will get us.

[diogenes ghost]

The different reactions seen to the Abu Ghraib revelations are quite varied. Abu Fuqy'all al-Zarqawi, not a detainee and certainly not abused (yet), reacts by brutally decapitating an innocent civilian. Yet one of the 'abused detainees', who excitedly identified himself as 'Holy Shi'ite Dam-awi Phuqme ibn Saddam Izod' says he would like to move to America as reparation for his suffering, presumably to Portland or the Bay Area.

[StonyBurk]

Sura 9.30 (for example) ...Jews and christians ,may Allah destroy them . .."I believe this war against terrorism will
not end--until we drop live pigs from low flying aircraft
capet bombing every mosque in Iraq-Iran-and Saudi Arabia,
not to forget the Syrian mosques. Then I suggest psy-ops
type leaflet drops educating the Muslims that we WILL
Hunt down and we will decapitate in public execution any
Muslim with intent to harm Americans be they Jew-or Christian--or just an average American.Until they see we
accept we are truely at war against thoose who intend us harm--we will continue to lose.

[bereanway]

So CAIR condemns these act of mindless violence done in the name of "religion". Well, last I heard the depraved sub-humans involved were shouting "Allahu Akbar".

Note to CAIR, "this isn't about religion, this is Islam".

[lilylangtree]

Would like to see the prisoners at Abu Graib lined up and 10 of them beheaded for every one of the coalition force members that die.

[Wright is right!]

The headline certainly is misleading. It sounds as though Americans carried out the beheading. Is that the original?

Michael

[Logic n' Reason]

Only one reason the Islamics (et al) are "decrying" the beheading of an American citizen.

They sense the tiny red dot of the laser sight on or about their person.

With our current Commander in Chief; they also know that this won't be over until it's over. As President Bush said (and I loosely paraphrase) in his address to the nation on September 20th, 2001, "Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime."

Ignorant, misguided, animalistic, wrong headed, immoral, murderous, scum tho they may be - they ain't crazy!

The "nation" (self-proclaimed) of Islam is in support and does harbor terrorists.

If I may be permitted another quote - it's time. "Let's Roll!"

[meatloaf]

That's not a good idea. Using a chain saw on the thugs that murdered Berg would be a better idea. I wouldn't use it on their necks first though.

[skeeter]

And yet the US media is barely skipping a beat in getting back to the prison 'atrocity' scandal.

[CyberCowboy777]

They won't get away with it, we won't let them.

We must send letters to the editor, send emails to friends - remind people of who, better what, we are fighting.

All focus and energy must be on this battle for humanity.

[Steel and Fire and Stone]

Regarding your comment: "ALLAHU AKBAR!" = THE MUSLIM CALL TO MURDER"

God is indeed merciful and great!

And, God is not "Allah".

Allah is the god of murderers, liars, rapists, and sadists, who demands the blood of Muslim young men and non-Muslim innocents in a never ending "Jihad".

God is a loving Father, who gave His only son Jesus Christ to die a torturous death for the sins of every person in the world, so that they would eternally, and never die.

The contrast between historic Christiantity and the sham religion called "Islam" could not be more extreme.

SFS

[Snerfling]

And yet the US media is barely skipping a beat in getting back to the prison 'atrocity' scandal.

As Ned Flanders would say "that story is done-diddly-done-for". Some silver bullet - more like a silver boomerang.

The one positive aspect of this whole sordid affair is that Bush can now go back on the offensive. Kerry & the DNC have to know it's all over - they're not angry over the murder, they're angry that it upset their plans.