Everything about this entire episode is suspicious. From the title of the video
mentioning one of the most wanted men in Al Qiada, the blurry quality of the
video, one of the "islamic fundamentalists" seems to be wearing very american
looking tennis shoes.
Why was Berg detained illegally by the U S government for 13 days without any of
his constitutionally guaranteed rights? Why was he only "released" after his
family sued? How did he come to be kidnapped so shortly after he was "released"?
Why is he still wearing the orange jumpsuit of a prisoner?
And why does the Arab terrorist know English well enough to put together such a
complex sentence better than most Americans?
---------------------------------------
U.S.: Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American civilian who was beheaded in a grisly video posted
on an al-Qaida-linked Web site had been warned to leave Iraq (news - web sites)
but refused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The masked men who butchered him
claimed they were angered by coalition abuses of Iraqi prisoners.
The American captive identified himself as Nick Berg, 26, of West Chester, Pa.,
a suburb of Philadelphia. His body was found near a highway overpass in Baghdad
on Saturday, the same day he was beheaded, a U.S. official said.
After pushing Berg to the floor, the men severed his head and held it up for the
camera on the video posted Tuesday. It bore the title "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
shown slaughtering an American," referring to an associate of Osama bin Laden
(news - web sites) believed behind a wave of suicide bombings in Iraq.
It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi was shown in the video or simply ordered the
execution. Al-Zarqawi also is sought in the assassination of a U.S. diplomat in
Jordan in 2002. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for
information leading to his capture or killing.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Berg was in Iraq "of
his own accord" and had been advised to leave Iraq but refused. The official
refused to elaborate but promised more information later Wednesday.
According to his family, Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke
to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. But
he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.
Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military. The next day Berg was
released. He told his parents he hadn't been mistreated. His family last heard
from him April 9 but it was unclear when and where he was abducted.
The Bush administration said those who beheaded Berg would be hunted down and
brought to justice.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," White House Press Secretary
Scott McClellan said. "It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. They
have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children."
Although Berg was working on his own, U.S. officials fear the savage killing
might prompt more foreigners working on international reconstruction projects to
flee the country.
Since the security situation deteriorated last month, about three out of 10
Americans and other non-Iraqis involved in reconstruction projects financed by
the U.S. Agency for International Development have fled Iraq, the USAID director
Andrew Natsios told The Associated Press.
A coalition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called Berg's death a
"real anomaly" because the overwhelming majority of Westerners here are working
for international companies.
Friends and family of Berg said he was a "free spirit" who wanted to help others
— working in Ghana, in one example — and that his going to Iraq fit with that
ideology. They said he supported the Iraqi war and the Bush administration.
Berg's killing happened amid a climate of intense anti-Western sentiment, which
flared in Iraq after last month's crackdown on Shiite extremists and the
three-week Marine siege of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Anger at the United States
swelled with the publication of photographs showing Iraqis abused and humiliated
at Abu Ghraib prison, which continue to stir rage throughout the Arab world.
U.S. officials had feared the shocking photographs would endanger the lives of
American troops and civilians.
In the video, five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks stand over a
bound man in an orange jumpsuit similar to prison uniforms.
"My name is Nick Berg. My father's name is Michael. My mother's name is
Suzanne," the man, seated in a chair, says. "I have a brother and sister, David
and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."
The video then cuts to Berg sitting on the floor, his hands tied behind his
back, flanked by the masked men, as a statement is read in Arabic. Berg sits
still during the statement, facing the camera, occasionally raising his
shoulders.
After the statement, the assailant directly behind Berg takes a large knife from
under his clothing while another pulls Berg onto his side. The tape shows
assailants thrusting the knife through his neck. A scream sounds before the men
cut Berg's head off, repeatedly shouting "Allahu Akbar!" — or "God is great."
They then hold the head out before the camera.
The video is of poor quality, and its time stamp seems to show an 11-hour lapse
between when the assailants finish their statement and push Berg down, to when
they behead him. That suggests a delay between those two portions of tape posted
on the Web site.
Berg attended Cornell University, Drexel University, the University of
Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma, where he got involved in rigging
electronics equipment while working for the maintenance department, his father
said. He helped set up equipment at the Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia in 2000.
While at Cornell, he traveled to Ghana to teach villagers how to make bricks out
of minimal material. His father said Berg returned from Ghana with only the
clothes on his back and emaciated because he gave away most of his food.
Michael Berg said his son saw his trip to Iraq as an adventure in line with his
desire to help others.
Berg's family said they were informed by the State Department on Monday that he
was found dead.
When told by a reporter about the Web site, Berg's father, brother and sister
grasped one another and slowly dropped to the ground in their front yard, where
they wept quietly while holding each other.
"I knew he was decapitated before," Michael Berg said. "That manner is
preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become
public."
The decapitation recalled the kidnapping and videotaped beheading of Wall Street
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. Four Islamic militants have
been convicted of kidnapping Pearl, but seven suspects — including those who
allegedly slit his throat — remain at large.
Last month, Iraqi militants videotaped the killing of Italian hostage Fabrizio
Quattrocchi, but the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera refused to air it because it was
too graphic.
In the video of Berg, the executioners said they had tried to trade him for
prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the
U.S. administration to exchange this hostage for some of the detainees in Abu
Ghraib and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.
"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."
Seven soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company face charges in the
mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in a scandal that has sparked worldwide
outrage. One of those soldiers faces a court-martial in Baghdad next week, the
first to go to trial.
.
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| User: "tw" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 07:07:15 AM |
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"AK" <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message
news:34fb4a3232dc56fe5dc8663cb11b2f0d@news.teranews.com...
Everything about this entire episode is suspicious.
Why?
From the title of the video
mentioning one of the most wanted men in Al Qiada,
Ego trip?
the blurry quality of the
video, one of the "islamic fundamentalists" seems to be wearing very
american
looking tennis shoes.
I think you'll find "american looking tennis shoes" can be found all over
the world.
Why was Berg detained illegally by the U S government for 13 days without
any of
his constitutionally guaranteed rights?
He wasn't, he was detained by the Iraqi Police.
Why was he only "released" after his
family sued? How did he come to be kidnapped so shortly after he was
"released"?
Why is he still wearing the orange jumpsuit of a prisoner?
You don't think it's inconceivable that his captors might have put him in an
orange jumpsuit? (presumably to remind people of Gitmo)
And why does the Arab terrorist know English well enough to put together
such a
complex sentence better than most Americans?
Well, that's hardly surprising. Presumably he went to a better school.
---------------------------------------
U.S.: Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American civilian who was beheaded in a grisly video
posted
on an al-Qaida-linked Web site had been warned to leave Iraq (news - web
sites)
but refused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The masked men who butchered
him
claimed they were angered by coalition abuses of Iraqi prisoners.
The American captive identified himself as Nick Berg, 26, of West Chester,
Pa.,
a suburb of Philadelphia. His body was found near a highway overpass in
Baghdad
on Saturday, the same day he was beheaded, a U.S. official said.
After pushing Berg to the floor, the men severed his head and held it up
for the
camera on the video posted Tuesday. It bore the title "Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi
shown slaughtering an American," referring to an associate of Osama bin
Laden
(news - web sites) believed behind a wave of suicide bombings in Iraq.
It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi was shown in the video or simply ordered
the
execution. Al-Zarqawi also is sought in the assassination of a U.S.
diplomat in
Jordan in 2002. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for
information leading to his capture or killing.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Berg was in Iraq
"of
his own accord" and had been advised to leave Iraq but refused. The
official
refused to elaborate but promised more information later Wednesday.
According to his family, Berg, a small telecommunications business owner,
spoke
to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30.
But
he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.
Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His
father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a
lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending
that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military. The next day Berg
was
released. He told his parents he hadn't been mistreated. His family last
heard
from him April 9 but it was unclear when and where he was abducted.
The Bush administration said those who beheaded Berg would be hunted down
and
brought to justice.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," White House Press
Secretary
Scott McClellan said. "It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom.
They
have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children."
Although Berg was working on his own, U.S. officials fear the savage
killing
might prompt more foreigners working on international reconstruction
projects to
flee the country.
Since the security situation deteriorated last month, about three out of
10
Americans and other non-Iraqis involved in reconstruction projects
financed by
the U.S. Agency for International Development have fled Iraq, the USAID
director
Andrew Natsios told The Associated Press.
A coalition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called Berg's
death a
"real anomaly" because the overwhelming majority of Westerners here are
working
for international companies.
Friends and family of Berg said he was a "free spirit" who wanted to help
others
- working in Ghana, in one example - and that his going to Iraq fit with
that
ideology. They said he supported the Iraqi war and the Bush
administration.
Berg's killing happened amid a climate of intense anti-Western sentiment,
which
flared in Iraq after last month's crackdown on Shiite extremists and the
three-week Marine siege of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Anger at the United
States
swelled with the publication of photographs showing Iraqis abused and
humiliated
at Abu Ghraib prison, which continue to stir rage throughout the Arab
world.
U.S. officials had feared the shocking photographs would endanger the
lives of
American troops and civilians.
In the video, five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks stand over
a
bound man in an orange jumpsuit similar to prison uniforms.
"My name is Nick Berg. My father's name is Michael. My mother's name is
Suzanne," the man, seated in a chair, says. "I have a brother and sister,
David
and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."
The video then cuts to Berg sitting on the floor, his hands tied behind
his
back, flanked by the masked men, as a statement is read in Arabic. Berg
sits
still during the statement, facing the camera, occasionally raising his
shoulders.
After the statement, the assailant directly behind Berg takes a large
knife from
under his clothing while another pulls Berg onto his side. The tape shows
assailants thrusting the knife through his neck. A scream sounds before
the men
cut Berg's head off, repeatedly shouting "Allahu Akbar!" - or "God is
great."
They then hold the head out before the camera.
The video is of poor quality, and its time stamp seems to show an 11-hour
lapse
between when the assailants finish their statement and push Berg down, to
when
they behead him. That suggests a delay between those two portions of tape
posted
on the Web site.
Berg attended Cornell University, Drexel University, the University of
Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma, where he got involved in
rigging
electronics equipment while working for the maintenance department, his
father
said. He helped set up equipment at the Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia in 2000.
While at Cornell, he traveled to Ghana to teach villagers how to make
bricks out
of minimal material. His father said Berg returned from Ghana with only
the
clothes on his back and emaciated because he gave away most of his food.
Michael Berg said his son saw his trip to Iraq as an adventure in line
with his
desire to help others.
Berg's family said they were informed by the State Department on Monday
that he
was found dead.
When told by a reporter about the Web site, Berg's father, brother and
sister
grasped one another and slowly dropped to the ground in their front yard,
where
they wept quietly while holding each other.
"I knew he was decapitated before," Michael Berg said. "That manner is
preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become
public."
The decapitation recalled the kidnapping and videotaped beheading of Wall
Street
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. Four Islamic militants
have
been convicted of kidnapping Pearl, but seven suspects - including those
who
allegedly slit his throat - remain at large.
Last month, Iraqi militants videotaped the killing of Italian hostage
Fabrizio
Quattrocchi, but the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera refused to air it because
it was
too graphic.
In the video of Berg, the executioners said they had tried to trade him
for
prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we
offered the
U.S. administration to exchange this hostage for some of the detainees in
Abu
Ghraib and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.
"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."
Seven soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company face charges in the
mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in a scandal that has sparked
worldwide
outrage. One of those soldiers faces a court-martial in Baghdad next week,
the
first to go to trial.
.
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| User: "sUSAn B Anthony" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 08:59:56 AM |
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Hey Tw......
Something struck me as being odd in that video as well and I'm usually
the last one to look for hidden conspiracies.
The first thing to cross my mind when I saw it was:
Why did the captors hide their identity?
I don't believe I have seen this in the past. If they were egotistical
as you say.....would they not be proud to show their face?
Susan
.
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| User: "Rondo Hatton" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
13 May 2004 12:54:26 AM |
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"sUSAn B Anthony" <tugbertswife@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:6106-40A22DDC-747@storefull-3218.bay.webtv.net...
Hey Tw......
Something struck me as being odd in that video as well and I'm usually
the last one to look for hidden conspiracies.
The first thing to cross my mind when I saw it was:
Why did the captors hide their identity?
Tradition dates back 5000 years to the Warka mask. Although modern Islam wasn't in place, it
borrowed for this old African tradition which has the warrior hiding his face.
Current masking has a more pragmatic purpose. Hiding the individuals identity is for security.
Sheikh Omar hid his identity during the taping of Daniel Pearl's murder. If you like, I could post a
link to the vid. Warning. It's very gruesome. Not something I want to view again.
All past prisoner videos are consistant. The captor(s) are always masked.
I don't believe I have seen this in the past. If they were egotistical
as you say.....would they not be proud to show their face?
Egotistical? You're applying western values and attitudes to this situation.
al-Zarqawi is taking this opportunity to recruit warriors. America's recruiting commercials proclaim
"The few, the proud." In the middle east a recruiting commercial has an American's head being
chopped off. al-Zarqawi's missing leg (prosthesis) is clearly shown in the vid. He lost it while
fighting Russia in the Afghan war. al-Zarqawi is the Saddam/al Queda link.
al-Zarqawi's message in the vid is simple. "Follow along. We know how to get the job done" Quite
effective at bringing in recruits from outside Iraq.
If this was a CIA hatched plot, they just shot themselves in the foot.
Susan
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| User: "tw" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 09:30:54 AM |
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"sUSAn B Anthony" <tugbertswife@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:6106-40A22DDC-747@storefull-3218.bay.webtv.net...
Hey Tw......
Hi Sue!
Something struck me as being odd in that video as well and I'm usually
the last one to look for hidden conspiracies.
The first thing to cross my mind when I saw it was:
Why did the captors hide their identity?
Didn't the guys that butchered Daniel Pearl also have their faces covered? I
can't remember, and don't really want to see that video again anyway.
I don't believe I have seen this in the past. If they were egotistical
as you say.....would they not be proud to show their face?
I only meant that "one of the most wanted men in Al Qiada" was being
egostistical by portraying himself as the guy that ordered/carried out the
act. Perhaps they are masked so that no-one can tell if it was him or not?
(e.g. he could be in hiding but wants to make it look like he's still in
charge)
Total speculation of course, but on the other hand it's hardly evidence that
this nastiness wasn't perpetrated by Al Qaeda or similar.
.
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| User: "sUSAn B Anthony" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 08:11:58 PM |
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tw wrote:
sUSAn wrote:
Hey Tw......
Hi Sue!
heh heh!
Something struck me as being odd in
that video as well and I'm usually the
last one to look for hidden
conspiracies.
The first thing to cross my mind when I
saw it was: Why did the captors hide
their identity?
Didn't the guys that butchered Daniel
Pearl also have their faces covered? I
can't remember, and don't really want to
see that video again anyway.
I missed that thankfully and only saw the family viewing version on the
news.
Any others out there remember if they were masked or not?
I don't believe I have seen this in the
past. If they were egotistical as you
say.....would they not be proud to show
their face?
I only meant that "one of the most
wanted men in Al Qiada" was being
egostistical by portraying himself as the
guy that ordered/carried out the act.
Perhaps they are masked so that no-one
can tell if it was him or not? (e.g. he
could be in hiding but wants to make it
look like he's still in charge)
Oh. Well I'm keeping egotistical in there for my own description then. I
see them as proud of what they do and not hiding behind a mask.
Total speculation of course, but on the
other hand it's hardly evidence that this
nastiness wasn't perpetrated by Al
Qaeda or similar.
Plenty of speculation going on. It's bad when you have lost all trust
in your own government and don't know who you can believe.
Things that have been said here in the past seemed so far-fetched at the
time but now they are proven to be true.
We *are* the big bad boogey man.
.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 06:23:49 PM |
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In article <c7tcas$931$1@newstree.wise.edt.ericsson.se>, "tw" <no@no.com> wrote:
"sUSAn B Anthony" <tugbertswife@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:6106-40A22DDC-747@storefull-3218.bay.webtv.net...
Hey Tw......
Hi Sue!
Something struck me as being odd in that video as well and I'm usually
the last one to look for hidden conspiracies.
The first thing to cross my mind when I saw it was:
Why did the captors hide their identity?
Didn't the guys that butchered Daniel Pearl also have their faces covered? I
can't remember, and don't really want to see that video again anyway.
Did they? I never saw any of the video (sure don't want to see his murder,
that's for sure).
I don't believe I have seen this in the past. If they were egotistical
as you say.....would they not be proud to show their face?
I only meant that "one of the most wanted men in Al Qiada" was being
egostistical by portraying himself as the guy that ordered/carried out the
act. Perhaps they are masked so that no-one can tell if it was him or not?
(e.g. he could be in hiding but wants to make it look like he's still in
charge)
Total speculation of course, but on the other hand it's hardly evidence that
this nastiness wasn't perpetrated by Al Qaeda or similar.
Well, if he was held by the Coalition for several weeks, it's a pretty good
indication that he did not appear to be Western - so how did al qaeda manage to
pick him out of a crowd and know to kidnap him? He wasn't riding around in
Halliburton humvees or vans, either.
Woods
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
13 May 2004 06:55:20 PM |
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In article <6106-40A22DDC-747@storefull-3218.bay.webtv.net>, (sUSAn B Anthony) wrote:
Hey Tw......
Something struck me as being odd in that video as well and I'm usually
the last one to look for hidden conspiracies.
The first thing to cross my mind when I saw it was:
Why did the captors hide their identity?
I don't believe I have seen this in the past. If they were egotistical
as you say.....would they not be proud to show their face?
Okay, turns out that they've been doing that right along. We can set the
tinfoil hats off to the side for the time being! < *whew* >
:-D
Woods
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| User: "sUSAn B Anthony" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
13 May 2004 09:29:49 PM |
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Woods wrote:
Okay, turns out that they've been doing
that right along.
Okay....
which brings us back to WHO "they"?
We can set the tinfoil hats off to the >side for the time being!
*whew*
*WHEW*
but wait.....are you sure it is safe? ;)
:-D
Woods
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
14 May 2004 07:08:59 PM |
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In article <25566-40A42F1D-41@storefull-3214.bay.webtv.net>, (sUSAn B Anthony) wrote:
Woods wrote:
Okay, turns out that they've been doing
that right along.
Okay....
which brings us back to WHO "they"?
Masked guys. But probably "they" do not include the Lone Ranger.
We can set the tinfoil hats off to the >side for the time being!
*whew*
*WHEW*
but wait.....are you sure it is safe? ;)
No, that's why we should only set them off to the side, not packed away. ;-)
Woods
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 06:20:07 PM |
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In article <6106-40A22DDC-747@storefull-3218.bay.webtv.net>, (sUSAn B Anthony) wrote:
Hey Tw......
Something struck me as being odd in that video as well and I'm usually
the last one to look for hidden conspiracies.
The first thing to cross my mind when I saw it was:
Why did the captors hide their identity?
Oy! You're right - why did they? 0-0
Woods
(Who doesn't believe that's typical for these sickos ....)
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| User: "AK" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 07:13:24 AM |
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On Wed, 12 May 2004 14:07:15 +0200, "tw" <no@no.com> wrote:
He wasn't, he was detained by the Iraqi Police.
Read the post carefully before replying idiotically. He was detained by US for
13 days.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
"Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military"
.
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| User: "tw" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 07:51:03 AM |
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"AK" <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message
news:cc2dc8274d92dc30fee5ac0672118ee8@news.teranews.com...
On Wed, 12 May 2004 14:07:15 +0200, "tw" <no@no.com> wrote:
He wasn't, he was detained by the Iraqi Police.
Read the post carefully before replying idiotically. He was detained by US
for
13 days.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on
_re_mi_ea/iraq
"Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His
father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a
lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending
that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military"
Mea culpa. He was arrested by Iraqi police then turned over to the
coalition. HOwever, this doesn't challenge the other points I replied to
which you "idiotically" snipped:
"AK" <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message
news:34fb4a3232dc56fe5dc8663cb11b2f0d@news.teranews.com...
Everything about this entire episode is suspicious.
Why?
From the title of the video
mentioning one of the most wanted men in Al Qiada,
Ego trip?
the blurry quality of the
video, one of the "islamic fundamentalists" seems to be wearing very
american
looking tennis shoes.
I think you'll find "american looking tennis shoes" can be found all over
the world.
<snip point already covered>
Why was he only "released" after his
family sued? How did he come to be kidnapped so shortly after he was
"released"?
Why is he still wearing the orange jumpsuit of a prisoner?
You don't think it's inconceivable that his captors might have put him in an
orange jumpsuit? (presumably to remind people of Gitmo)
And why does the Arab terrorist know English well enough to put together
such a
complex sentence better than most Americans?
Well, that's hardly surprising. Presumably he went to a better school.
.
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|
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| User: "Grantland" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 01:10:18 PM |
|
|
"tw" <no@no.com> wrote:
"AK" <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message
news:cc2dc8274d92dc30fee5ac0672118ee8@news.teranews.com...
On Wed, 12 May 2004 14:07:15 +0200, "tw" <no@no.com> wrote:
He wasn't, he was detained by the Iraqi Police.
Read the post carefully before replying idiotically. He was detained by US
for
13 days.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on
_re_mi_ea/iraq
"Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His
father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a
lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending
that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military"
Mea culpa. He was arrested by Iraqi police then turned over to the
coalition. HOwever, this doesn't challenge the other points I replied to
which you "idiotically" snipped:
"AK" <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message
news:34fb4a3232dc56fe5dc8663cb11b2f0d@news.teranews.com...
Everything about this entire episode is suspicious.
Why?
From the title of the video
mentioning one of the most wanted men in Al Qiada,
Ego trip?
the blurry quality of the
video, one of the "islamic fundamentalists" seems to be wearing very
american
looking tennis shoes.
I think you'll find "american looking tennis shoes" can be found all over
the world.
<snip point already covered>
Why was he only "released" after his
family sued? How did he come to be kidnapped so shortly after he was
"released"?
Why is he still wearing the orange jumpsuit of a prisoner?
You don't think it's inconceivable that his captors might have put him in an
orange jumpsuit? (presumably to remind people of Gitmo)
And why does the Arab terrorist know English well enough to put together
such a
complex sentence better than most Americans?
Well, that's hardly surprising. Presumably he went to a better school.
Come come. A transparent attempt to nullify the shock-torture fotos.
Please.
Grantland
.
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|
| User: "AK" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 08:01:42 AM |
|
|
On Wed, 12 May 2004 14:51:03 +0200, "tw" <no@no.com> wrote:
Mea culpa. He was arrested by Iraqi police then turned over to the
coalition. HOwever, this doesn't challenge the other points I replied to
which you "idiotically" snipped:
Your other points are speculations and don't deserve answer. The whole thing is
suspicious enough.
.
|
|
|
| User: "tw" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 08:18:46 AM |
|
|
"AK" <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message
news:aa4e5d63da69334cf32502cda981c9e8@news.teranews.com...
On Wed, 12 May 2004 14:51:03 +0200, "tw" <no@no.com> wrote:
Mea culpa. He was arrested by Iraqi police then turned over to the
coalition. HOwever, this doesn't challenge the other points I replied to
which you "idiotically" snipped:
Your other points are speculations and don't deserve answer.
I don't suppose you can see the massive hypocrisy of that statement can you?
The whole thing is
suspicious enough.
Why? You refuse to address the points you raised and I replied to. Support
your assertions or *****.
.
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| User: "jmh" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 11:35:42 AM |
|
|
AK wrote:
On Wed, 12 May 2004 14:07:15 +0200, "tw" <no@no.com> wrote:
He wasn't, he was detained by the Iraqi Police.
Read the post carefully before replying idiotically. He was detained by US for
13 days.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
"Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military"
I don't seem to be able to find that quote in the link you
provide.
I do find this:
<quote>
But Berg was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in
Mosul on March 24. He was turned over to U.S. officials and
detained for 13 days, the family said.
His father, Michael, said his son was not allowed to make
phone calls or contact a lawyer.
Coalition spokesman Dan Senor told reporters that Berg was
detained by Iraqi police in the northern Iraqi city of
Mosul. The Iraqis informed the Americans, and the FBI (news
- web sites) questioned him three times about what he was
doing in Iraq.
Senor said that to his knowledge Berg "was at no time under
the jurisdiction or detention of coalition forces."
However, calls by The Associated Press to police in Mosul
failed to find anyone who could confirm Berg was held there.
The U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority runs Iraq,
controlling not only the police, but the military and all
government ministries.
FBI agents visited Berg's parents March 31 and told the
family they were trying to confirm their son's identity.
On April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in
Philadelphia, contending their son was being held illegally
by the U.S. military. The next day, Berg was released. He
told his parents he had not been mistreated.
</quote>
There is clearly an accusation that he was held by
the US and that he was released (by whoever was
holding him) the day after the suit was filed.
jmh
.
|
|
|
| User: "AK" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 04:29:53 PM |
|
|
On Wed, 12 May 2004 12:35:42 -0400, jmh <j_m_h@cox.net> wrote:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
"Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military"
I don't seem to be able to find that quote in the link you
provide.
These news links seem to update/edit quickly ..
here what it was yesterday ...
U.S.: Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American civilian who was beheaded in a grisly video posted
on an al-Qaida-linked Web site had been warned to leave Iraq (news - web sites)
but refused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The masked men who butchered him
claimed they were angered by coalition abuses of Iraqi prisoners.
The American captive identified himself as Nick Berg, 26, of West Chester, Pa.,
a suburb of Philadelphia. His body was found near a highway overpass in Baghdad
on Saturday, the same day he was beheaded, a U.S. official said.
After pushing Berg to the floor, the men severed his head and held it up for the
camera on the video posted Tuesday. It bore the title "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
shown slaughtering an American," referring to an associate of Osama bin Laden
(news - web sites) believed behind a wave of suicide bombings in Iraq.
It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi was shown in the video or simply ordered the
execution. Al-Zarqawi also is sought in the assassination of a U.S. diplomat in
Jordan in 2002. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for
information leading to his capture or killing.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Berg was in Iraq "of
his own accord" and had been advised to leave Iraq but refused. The official
refused to elaborate but promised more information later Wednesday.
According to his family, Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke
to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. But
he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.
Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military. The next day Berg was
released. He told his parents he hadn't been mistreated. His family last heard
from him April 9 but it was unclear when and where he was abducted.
The Bush administration said those who beheaded Berg would be hunted down and
brought to justice.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," White House Press Secretary
Scott McClellan said. "It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. They
have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children."
Although Berg was working on his own, U.S. officials fear the savage killing
might prompt more foreigners working on international reconstruction projects to
flee the country.
Since the security situation deteriorated last month, about three out of 10
Americans and other non-Iraqis involved in reconstruction projects financed by
the U.S. Agency for International Development have fled Iraq, the USAID director
Andrew Natsios told The Associated Press.
A coalition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called Berg's death a
"real anomaly" because the overwhelming majority of Westerners here are working
for international companies.
Friends and family of Berg said he was a "free spirit" who wanted to help others
— working in Ghana, in one example — and that his going to Iraq fit with that
ideology. They said he supported the Iraqi war and the Bush administration.
Berg's killing happened amid a climate of intense anti-Western sentiment, which
flared in Iraq after last month's crackdown on Shiite extremists and the
three-week Marine siege of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Anger at the United States
swelled with the publication of photographs showing Iraqis abused and humiliated
at Abu Ghraib prison, which continue to stir rage throughout the Arab world.
U.S. officials had feared the shocking photographs would endanger the lives of
American troops and civilians.
In the video, five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks stand over a
bound man in an orange jumpsuit similar to prison uniforms.
"My name is Nick Berg. My father's name is Michael. My mother's name is
Suzanne," the man, seated in a chair, says. "I have a brother and sister, David
and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."
The video then cuts to Berg sitting on the floor, his hands tied behind his
back, flanked by the masked men, as a statement is read in Arabic. Berg sits
still during the statement, facing the camera, occasionally raising his
shoulders.
After the statement, the assailant directly behind Berg takes a large knife from
under his clothing while another pulls Berg onto his side. The tape shows
assailants thrusting the knife through his neck. A scream sounds before the men
cut Berg's head off, repeatedly shouting "Allahu Akbar!" — or "God is great."
They then hold the head out before the camera.
The video is of poor quality, and its time stamp seems to show an 11-hour lapse
between when the assailants finish their statement and push Berg down, to when
they behead him. That suggests a delay between those two portions of tape posted
on the Web site.
Berg attended Cornell University, Drexel University, the University of
Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma, where he got involved in rigging
electronics equipment while working for the maintenance department, his father
said. He helped set up equipment at the Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia in 2000.
While at Cornell, he traveled to Ghana to teach villagers how to make bricks out
of minimal material. His father said Berg returned from Ghana with only the
clothes on his back and emaciated because he gave away most of his food.
Michael Berg said his son saw his trip to Iraq as an adventure in line with his
desire to help others.
Berg's family said they were informed by the State Department on Monday that he
was found dead.
When told by a reporter about the Web site, Berg's father, brother and sister
grasped one another and slowly dropped to the ground in their front yard, where
they wept quietly while holding each other.
"I knew he was decapitated before," Michael Berg said. "That manner is
preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become
public."
The decapitation recalled the kidnapping and videotaped beheading of Wall Street
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. Four Islamic militants have
been convicted of kidnapping Pearl, but seven suspects — including those who
allegedly slit his throat — remain at large.
Last month, Iraqi militants videotaped the killing of Italian hostage Fabrizio
Quattrocchi, but the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera refused to air it because it was
too graphic.
In the video of Berg, the executioners said they had tried to trade him for
prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the
U.S. administration to exchange this hostage for some of the detainees in Abu
Ghraib and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.
"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."
Seven soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company face charges in the
mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in a scandal that has sparked worldwide
outrage. One of those soldiers faces a court-martial in Baghdad next week, the
first to go to trial.
.
|
|
|
| User: "christisdore" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
13 May 2004 10:57:09 PM |
|
|
AK <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message news:<bb0f0737be654f0f980a53f346aac8f0@news.teranews.com>...
On Wed, 12 May 2004 12:35:42 -0400, jmh <j_m_h@cox.net> wrote:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
"Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military"
I don't seem to be able to find that quote in the link you
provide.
These news links seem to update/edit quickly ..
here what it was yesterday ...
U.S.: Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American civilian who was beheaded in a grisly video posted
on an al-Qaida-linked Web site had been warned to leave Iraq (news - web sites)
but refused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The masked men who butchered him
claimed they were angered by coalition abuses of Iraqi prisoners.
The American captive identified himself as Nick Berg, 26, of West Chester, Pa.,
a suburb of Philadelphia. His body was found near a highway overpass in Baghdad
on Saturday, the same day he was beheaded, a U.S. official said.
After pushing Berg to the floor, the men severed his head and held it up for the
camera on the video posted Tuesday. It bore the title "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
shown slaughtering an American," referring to an associate of Osama bin Laden
(news - web sites) believed behind a wave of suicide bombings in Iraq.
It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi was shown in the video or simply ordered the
execution. Al-Zarqawi also is sought in the assassination of a U.S. diplomat in
Jordan in 2002. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for
information leading to his capture or killing.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Berg was in Iraq "of
his own accord" and had been advised to leave Iraq but refused. The official
refused to elaborate but promised more information later Wednesday.
According to his family, Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke
to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. But
he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.
Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military. The next day Berg was
released. He told his parents he hadn't been mistreated. His family last heard
from him April 9 but it was unclear when and where he was abducted.
The Bush administration said those who beheaded Berg would be hunted down and
brought to justice.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," White House Press Secretary
Scott McClellan said. "It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. They
have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children."
Although Berg was working on his own, U.S. officials fear the savage killing
might prompt more foreigners working on international reconstruction projects to
flee the country.
Since the security situation deteriorated last month, about three out of 10
Americans and other non-Iraqis involved in reconstruction projects financed by
the U.S. Agency for International Development have fled Iraq, the USAID director
Andrew Natsios told The Associated Press.
A coalition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called Berg's death a
"real anomaly" because the overwhelming majority of Westerners here are working
for international companies.
Friends and family of Berg said he was a "free spirit" who wanted to help others
? working in Ghana, in one example ? and that his going to Iraq fit with that
ideology. They said he supported the Iraqi war and the Bush administration.
Berg's killing happened amid a climate of intense anti-Western sentiment, which
flared in Iraq after last month's crackdown on Shiite extremists and the
three-week Marine siege of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Anger at the United States
swelled with the publication of photographs showing Iraqis abused and humiliated
at Abu Ghraib prison, which continue to stir rage throughout the Arab world.
U.S. officials had feared the shocking photographs would endanger the lives of
American troops and civilians.
In the video, five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks stand over a
bound man in an orange jumpsuit similar to prison uniforms.
"My name is Nick Berg. My father's name is Michael. My mother's name is
Suzanne," the man, seated in a chair, says. "I have a brother and sister, David
and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."
The video then cuts to Berg sitting on the floor, his hands tied behind his
back, flanked by the masked men, as a statement is read in Arabic. Berg sits
still during the statement, facing the camera, occasionally raising his
shoulders.
After the statement, the assailant directly behind Berg takes a large knife from
under his clothing while another pulls Berg onto his side. The tape shows
assailants thrusting the knife through his neck. A scream sounds before the men
cut Berg's head off, repeatedly shouting "Allahu Akbar!" ? or "God is great."
They then hold the head out before the camera.
The video is of poor quality, and its time stamp seems to show an 11-hour lapse
between when the assailants finish their statement and push Berg down, to when
they behead him. That suggests a delay between those two portions of tape posted
on the Web site.
Berg attended Cornell University, Drexel University, the University of
Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma, where he got involved in rigging
electronics equipment while working for the maintenance department, his father
said. He helped set up equipment at the Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia in 2000.
While at Cornell, he traveled to Ghana to teach villagers how to make bricks out
of minimal material. His father said Berg returned from Ghana with only the
clothes on his back and emaciated because he gave away most of his food.
Michael Berg said his son saw his trip to Iraq as an adventure in line with his
desire to help others.
Berg's family said they were informed by the State Department on Monday that he
was found dead.
When told by a reporter about the Web site, Berg's father, brother and sister
grasped one another and slowly dropped to the ground in their front yard, where
they wept quietly while holding each other.
"I knew he was decapitated before," Michael Berg said. "That manner is
preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become
public."
The decapitation recalled the kidnapping and videotaped beheading of Wall Street
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. Four Islamic militants have
been convicted of kidnapping Pearl, but seven suspects ? including those who
allegedly slit his throat ? remain at large.
Last month, Iraqi militants videotaped the killing of Italian hostage Fabrizio
Quattrocchi, but the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera refused to air it because it was
too graphic.
In the video of Berg, the executioners said they had tried to trade him for
prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the
U.S. administration to exchange this hostage for some of the detainees in Abu
Ghraib and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.
"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."
Seven soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company face charges in the
mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in a scandal that has sparked worldwide
outrage. One of those soldiers faces a court-martial in Baghdad next week, the
first to go to trial.
My mistake. An *associate* of Moussaoui used Berg's computer and
password, according to CNN. Perhaps the al Qaeda are trying to deny
they beheaded Berg.
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "christisdore" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
13 May 2004 10:48:22 PM |
|
|
AK <someoneNasty@hotmails.com> wrote in message news:<bb0f0737be654f0f980a53f346aac8f0@news.teranews.com>...
On Wed, 12 May 2004 12:35:42 -0400, jmh <j_m_h@cox.net> wrote:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
"Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military"
I don't seem to be able to find that quote in the link you
provide.
These news links seem to update/edit quickly ..
here what it was yesterday ...
U.S.: Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American civilian who was beheaded in a grisly video posted
on an al-Qaida-linked Web site had been warned to leave Iraq (news - web sites)
but refused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The masked men who butchered him
claimed they were angered by coalition abuses of Iraqi prisoners.
The American captive identified himself as Nick Berg, 26, of West Chester, Pa.,
a suburb of Philadelphia. His body was found near a highway overpass in Baghdad
on Saturday, the same day he was beheaded, a U.S. official said.
After pushing Berg to the floor, the men severed his head and held it up for the
camera on the video posted Tuesday. It bore the title "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
shown slaughtering an American," referring to an associate of Osama bin Laden
(news - web sites) believed behind a wave of suicide bombings in Iraq.
It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi was shown in the video or simply ordered the
execution. Al-Zarqawi also is sought in the assassination of a U.S. diplomat in
Jordan in 2002. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for
information leading to his capture or killing.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Berg was in Iraq "of
his own accord" and had been advised to leave Iraq but refused. The official
refused to elaborate but promised more information later Wednesday.
According to his family, Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke
to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. But
he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.
Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military. The next day Berg was
released. He told his parents he hadn't been mistreated. His family last heard
from him April 9 but it was unclear when and where he was abducted.
The Bush administration said those who beheaded Berg would be hunted down and
brought to justice.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," White House Press Secretary
Scott McClellan said. "It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. They
have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children."
Although Berg was working on his own, U.S. officials fear the savage killing
might prompt more foreigners working on international reconstruction projects to
flee the country.
Since the security situation deteriorated last month, about three out of 10
Americans and other non-Iraqis involved in reconstruction projects financed by
the U.S. Agency for International Development have fled Iraq, the USAID director
Andrew Natsios told The Associated Press.
A coalition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called Berg's death a
"real anomaly" because the overwhelming majority of Westerners here are working
for international companies.
Friends and family of Berg said he was a "free spirit" who wanted to help others
? working in Ghana, in one example ? and that his going to Iraq fit with that
ideology. They said he supported the Iraqi war and the Bush administration.
Berg's killing happened amid a climate of intense anti-Western sentiment, which
flared in Iraq after last month's crackdown on Shiite extremists and the
three-week Marine siege of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Anger at the United States
swelled with the publication of photographs showing Iraqis abused and humiliated
at Abu Ghraib prison, which continue to stir rage throughout the Arab world.
U.S. officials had feared the shocking photographs would endanger the lives of
American troops and civilians.
In the video, five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks stand over a
bound man in an orange jumpsuit similar to prison uniforms.
"My name is Nick Berg. My father's name is Michael. My mother's name is
Suzanne," the man, seated in a chair, says. "I have a brother and sister, David
and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."
The video then cuts to Berg sitting on the floor, his hands tied behind his
back, flanked by the masked men, as a statement is read in Arabic. Berg sits
still during the statement, facing the camera, occasionally raising his
shoulders.
After the statement, the assailant directly behind Berg takes a large knife from
under his clothing while another pulls Berg onto his side. The tape shows
assailants thrusting the knife through his neck. A scream sounds before the men
cut Berg's head off, repeatedly shouting "Allahu Akbar!" ? or "God is great."
They then hold the head out before the camera.
The video is of poor quality, and its time stamp seems to show an 11-hour lapse
between when the assailants finish their statement and push Berg down, to when
they behead him. That suggests a delay between those two portions of tape posted
on the Web site.
Berg attended Cornell University, Drexel University, the University of
Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma, where he got involved in rigging
electronics equipment while working for the maintenance department, his father
said. He helped set up equipment at the Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia in 2000.
While at Cornell, he traveled to Ghana to teach villagers how to make bricks out
of minimal material. His father said Berg returned from Ghana with only the
clothes on his back and emaciated because he gave away most of his food.
Michael Berg said his son saw his trip to Iraq as an adventure in line with his
desire to help others.
Berg's family said they were informed by the State Department on Monday that he
was found dead.
When told by a reporter about the Web site, Berg's father, brother and sister
grasped one another and slowly dropped to the ground in their front yard, where
they wept quietly while holding each other.
"I knew he was decapitated before," Michael Berg said. "That manner is
preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become
public."
The decapitation recalled the kidnapping and videotaped beheading of Wall Street
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. Four Islamic militants have
been convicted of kidnapping Pearl, but seven suspects ? including those who
allegedly slit his throat ? remain at large.
Last month, Iraqi militants videotaped the killing of Italian hostage Fabrizio
Quattrocchi, but the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera refused to air it because it was
too graphic.
In the video of Berg, the executioners said they had tried to trade him for
prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the
U.S. administration to exchange this hostage for some of the detainees in Abu
Ghraib and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.
"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."
Seven soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company face charges in the
mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in a scandal that has sparked worldwide
outrage. One of those soldiers faces a court-martial in Baghdad next week, the
first to go to trial.
Okay, hotmails, CNN reports Moussaoui used Berg's computer and
password. Why did the al Qaeda murder him so soon upon finding him,
right when new photos were coming out to Congress. The other evidence
at the CNN home site has friends and acquaintances of Berg speaking
out. There are too many unexplained matters. Several groups could have
beheaded Berg while making that sloppy video.
.
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| User: "Nova Carta" |
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| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 09:54:19 AM |
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America did not behead this man. Men who wish to gain power by
promulgating hatred did. Men who see an escalation in this war as a
means to gain rulership did. Men bent on destroying every effort to
win peace did. This is no revenge. It is cold blooded murder and it
wasn't committed by the United States.
Nova
On Wed, 12 May 2004 11:31:57 GMT, AK <someoneNasty@hotmails.com>
wrote:
Everything about this entire episode is suspicious. From the title of the video
mentioning one of the most wanted men in Al Qiada, the blurry quality of the
video, one of the "islamic fundamentalists" seems to be wearing very american
looking tennis shoes.
Why was Berg detained illegally by the U S government for 13 days without any of
his constitutionally guaranteed rights? Why was he only "released" after his
family sued? How did he come to be kidnapped so shortly after he was "released"?
Why is he still wearing the orange jumpsuit of a prisoner?
And why does the Arab terrorist know English well enough to put together such a
complex sentence better than most Americans?
---------------------------------------
U.S.: Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American civilian who was beheaded in a grisly video posted
on an al-Qaida-linked Web site had been warned to leave Iraq (news - web sites)
but refused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The masked men who butchered him
claimed they were angered by coalition abuses of Iraqi prisoners.
The American captive identified himself as Nick Berg, 26, of West Chester, Pa.,
a suburb of Philadelphia. His body was found near a highway overpass in Baghdad
on Saturday, the same day he was beheaded, a U.S. official said.
After pushing Berg to the floor, the men severed his head and held it up for the
camera on the video posted Tuesday. It bore the title "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
shown slaughtering an American," referring to an associate of Osama bin Laden
(news - web sites) believed behind a wave of suicide bombings in Iraq.
It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi was shown in the video or simply ordered the
execution. Al-Zarqawi also is sought in the assassination of a U.S. diplomat in
Jordan in 2002. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for
information leading to his capture or killing.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Berg was in Iraq "of
his own accord" and had been advised to leave Iraq but refused. The official
refused to elaborate but promised more information later Wednesday.
According to his family, Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke
to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. But
he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.
Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military. The next day Berg was
released. He told his parents he hadn't been mistreated. His family last heard
from him April 9 but it was unclear when and where he was abducted.
The Bush administration said those who beheaded Berg would be hunted down and
brought to justice.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," White House Press Secretary
Scott McClellan said. "It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. They
have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children."
Although Berg was working on his own, U.S. officials fear the savage killing
might prompt more foreigners working on international reconstruction projects to
flee the country.
Since the security situation deteriorated last month, about three out of 10
Americans and other non-Iraqis involved in reconstruction projects financed by
the U.S. Agency for International Development have fled Iraq, the USAID director
Andrew Natsios told The Associated Press.
A coalition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called Berg's death a
"real anomaly" because the overwhelming majority of Westerners here are working
for international companies.
Friends and family of Berg said he was a "free spirit" who wanted to help others
— working in Ghana, in one example — and that his going to Iraq fit with that
ideology. They said he supported the Iraqi war and the Bush administration.
Berg's killing happened amid a climate of intense anti-Western sentiment, which
flared in Iraq after last month's crackdown on Shiite extremists and the
three-week Marine siege of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Anger at the United States
swelled with the publication of photographs showing Iraqis abused and humiliated
at Abu Ghraib prison, which continue to stir rage throughout the Arab world.
U.S. officials had feared the shocking photographs would endanger the lives of
American troops and civilians.
In the video, five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks stand over a
bound man in an orange jumpsuit similar to prison uniforms.
"My name is Nick Berg. My father's name is Michael. My mother's name is
Suzanne," the man, seated in a chair, says. "I have a brother and sister, David
and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."
The video then cuts to Berg sitting on the floor, his hands tied behind his
back, flanked by the masked men, as a statement is read in Arabic. Berg sits
still during the statement, facing the camera, occasionally raising his
shoulders.
After the statement, the assailant directly behind Berg takes a large knife from
under his clothing while another pulls Berg onto his side. The tape shows
assailants thrusting the knife through his neck. A scream sounds before the men
cut Berg's head off, repeatedly shouting "Allahu Akbar!" — or "God is great."
They then hold the head out before the camera.
The video is of poor quality, and its time stamp seems to show an 11-hour lapse
between when the assailants finish their statement and push Berg down, to when
they behead him. That suggests a delay between those two portions of tape posted
on the Web site.
Berg attended Cornell University, Drexel University, the University of
Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma, where he got involved in rigging
electronics equipment while working for the maintenance department, his father
said. He helped set up equipment at the Republican National Convention in
Philadelphia in 2000.
While at Cornell, he traveled to Ghana to teach villagers how to make bricks out
of minimal material. His father said Berg returned from Ghana with only the
clothes on his back and emaciated because he gave away most of his food.
Michael Berg said his son saw his trip to Iraq as an adventure in line with his
desire to help others.
Berg's family said they were informed by the State Department on Monday that he
was found dead.
When told by a reporter about the Web site, Berg's father, brother and sister
grasped one another and slowly dropped to the ground in their front yard, where
they wept quietly while holding each other.
"I knew he was decapitated before," Michael Berg said. "That manner is
preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become
public."
The decapitation recalled the kidnapping and videotaped beheading of Wall Street
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. Four Islamic militants have
been convicted of kidnapping Pearl, but seven suspects — including those who
allegedly slit his throat — remain at large.
Last month, Iraqi militants videotaped the killing of Italian hostage Fabrizio
Quattrocchi, but the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera refused to air it because it was
too graphic.
In the video of Berg, the executioners said they had tried to trade him for
prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the
U.S. administration to exchange this hostage for some of the detainees in Abu
Ghraib and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.
"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."
Seven soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company face charges in the
mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in a scandal that has sparked worldwide
outrage. One of those soldiers faces a court-martial in Baghdad next week, the
first to go to trial.
.
|
|
|
| User: "Bradly Wiebe" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
12 May 2004 12:24:53 PM |
|
|
Nova Carta wrote:
America did not behead this man. Men who wish to gain power by
promulgating hatred did. Men who see an escalation in this war as a
means to gain rulership did. Men bent on destroying every effort to
win peace did. This is no revenge. It is cold blooded murder and it
wasn't committed by the United States.
Nova
You can't say definately that it was done by the US. The fact that Al Qu=
eda has
claimed responsibility for the action and that it was displayed on an Al =
Queda linked
website would lead one to believe that it indeed was done by them, howeve=
r the new
accusations of Berg's family that he had been held by the US military len=
ds credence
to the accusations that it was done by the US military.
For now, we just don't know.
On Wed, 12 May 2004 11:31:57 GMT, AK <someoneNasty@hotmails.com>
wrote:
Everything about this entire episode is suspicious. From the title of =
the video
mentioning one of the most wanted men in Al Qiada, the blurry quality =
of the
video, one of the "islamic fundamentalists" seems to be wearing very a=
merican
looking tennis shoes.
Why was Berg detained illegally by the U S government for 13 days with=
out any of
his constitutionally guaranteed rights? Why was he only "released" aft=
er his
family sued? How did he come to be kidnapped so shortly after he was "=
released"?
Why is he still wearing the orange jumpsuit of a prisoner?
And why does the Arab terrorist know English well enough to put togeth=
er such a
complex sentence better than most Americans?
---------------------------------------
U.S.: Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American civilian who was beheaded in a grisly vide=
o posted
on an al-Qaida-linked Web site had been warned to leave Iraq (news - w=
eb sites)
but refused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The masked men who butcher=
ed him
claimed they were angered by coalition abuses of Iraqi prisoners.
The American captive identified himself as Nick Berg, 26, of West Ches=
ter, Pa.,
a suburb of Philadelphia. His body was found near a highway overpass i=
n Baghdad
on Saturday, the same day he was beheaded, a U.S. official said.
After pushing Berg to the floor, the men severed his head and held it =
up for the
camera on the video posted Tuesday. It bore the title "Abu Musab al-Za=
rqawi
shown slaughtering an American," referring to an associate of Osama bi=
n Laden
(news - web sites) believed behind a wave of suicide bombings in Iraq.=
It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi was shown in the video or simply ord=
ered the
execution. Al-Zarqawi also is sought in the assassination of a U.S. di=
plomat in
Jordan in 2002. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for=
information leading to his capture or killing.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Berg was in =
Iraq "of
his own accord" and had been advised to leave Iraq but refused. The of=
ficial
refused to elaborate but promised more information later Wednesday.
According to his family, Berg, a small telecommunications business own=
er, spoke
to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March=
30. But
he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.
Berg was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days. His f=
ather,
Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a =
lawyer. On
April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, conten=
ding that
their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military. The next day =
Berg was
released. He told his parents he hadn't been mistreated. His family la=
st heard
from him April 9 but it was unclear when and where he was abducted.
The Bush administration said those who beheaded Berg would be hunted d=
own and
brought to justice.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," White House Press Secr=
etary
Scott McClellan said. "It shows the true nature of the enemies of free=
dom. They
have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children."
Although Berg was working on his own, U.S. officials fear the savage k=
illing
might prompt more foreigners working on international reconstruction p=
rojects to
flee the country.
Since the security situation deteriorated last month, about three out =
of 10
Americans and other non-Iraqis involved in reconstruction projects fin=
anced by
the U.S. Agency for International Development have fled Iraq, the USAI=
D director
Andrew Natsios told The Associated Press.
A coalition official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called Berg'=
s death a
"real anomaly" because the overwhelming majority of Westerners here ar=
e working
for international companies.
Friends and family of Berg said he was a "free spirit" who wanted to h=
elp others
=97 working in Ghana, in one example =97 and that his going to Iraq fi=
t with that
ideology. They said he supported the Iraqi war and the Bush administra=
tion.
Berg's killing happened amid a climate of intense anti-Western sentime=
nt, which
flared in Iraq after last month's crackdown on Shiite extremists and t=
he
three-week Marine siege of Fallujah west of Baghdad. Anger at the Unit=
ed States
swelled with the publication of photographs showing Iraqis abused and =
humiliated
at Abu Ghraib prison, which continue to stir rage throughout the Arab =
world.
U.S. officials had feared the shocking photographs would endanger the =
lives of
American troops and civilians.
In the video, five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks stand o=
ver a
bound man in an orange jumpsuit similar to prison uniforms.
"My name is Nick Berg. My father's name is Michael. My mother's name i=
s
Suzanne," the man, seated in a chair, says. "I have a brother and sist=
er, David
and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."
The video then cuts to Berg sitting on the floor, his hands tied behin=
d his
back, flanked by the masked men, as a statement is read in Arabic. Ber=
g sits
still during the statement, facing the camera, occasionally raising hi=
s
shoulders.
After the statement, the assailant directly behind Berg takes a large =
knife from
under his clothing while another pulls Berg onto his side. The tape sh=
ows
assailants thrusting the knife through his neck. A scream sounds befor=
e the men
cut Berg's head off, repeatedly shouting "Allahu Akbar!" =97 or "God i=
s great."
They then hold the head out before the camera.
The video is of poor quality, and its time stamp seems to show an 11-h=
our lapse
between when the assailants finish their statement and push Berg down,=
to when
they behead him. That suggests a delay between those two portions of t=
ape posted
on the Web site.
Berg attended Cornell University, Drexel University, the University of=
Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma, where he got involved in =
rigging
electronics equipment while working for the maintenance department, hi=
s father
said. He helped set up equipment at the Republican National Convention=
in
Philadelphia in 2000.
While at Cornell, he traveled to Ghana to teach villagers how to make =
bricks out
of minimal material. His father said Berg returned from Ghana with onl=
y the
clothes on his back and emaciated because he gave away most of his foo=
d.
Michael Berg said his son saw his trip to Iraq as an adventure in line=
with his
desire to help others.
Berg's family said they were informed by the State Department on Monda=
y that he
was found dead.
When told by a reporter about the Web site, Berg's father, brother and=
sister
grasped one another and slowly dropped to the ground in their front ya=
rd, where
they wept quietly while holding each other.
"I knew he was decapitated before," Michael Berg said. "That manner is=
preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to beco=
me
public."
The decapitation recalled the kidnapping and videotaped beheading of W=
all Street
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Pakistan. Four Islamic milita=
nts have
been convicted of kidnapping Pearl, but seven suspects =97 including t=
hose who
allegedly slit his throat =97 remain at large.
Last month, Iraqi militants videotaped the killing of Italian hostage =
Fabrizio
Quattrocchi, but the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera refused to air it beca=
use it was
too graphic.
In the video of Berg, the executioners said they had tried to trade hi=
m for
prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we o=
ffered the
U.S. administration to exchange this hostage for some of the detainees=
in Abu
Ghraib and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.
"So we tell you that the dignity of the Muslim men and women in Abu Gh=
raib 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."
Seven soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company face charges in =
the
mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in a scandal that has sparked =
worldwide
outrage. One of those soldiers faces a court-martial in Baghdad next w=
eek, the
first to go to trial.
.
|
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| User: "Werewolfy" |
|
| Title: Re: THIS WAS THE WORK OF THE U.S. GOV. - BEHEADING! |
13 May 2004 05:50:45 AM |
|
|
Bradly Wiebe <bradlywiebe@shows.com> wrote in message news:<40A25DE4.177C48B@shows.com>...
Nova Carta wrote:
================================================================================
Of course it's reprehensible. Having said that, to the Arab world,
this method of execution is little different to US state
elctrocution,or lethal injection. It's their way, that's all.
It's a method that we find abhorent and bloodthirsty, and adds fuel to
their intention to cause outrage.
Masks, tradition or otherwise, makes the wearer appear more sinister.
Again, that is the purpose.
An American executed, an Iraqi prison | | | |
