Family of Beheaded U.S. Man Releases Statement

yahoo news ^ | 5 11 04 | reuters

[freepatriot32]

frame grab taken from web site video footage May 11, 2004, shows a man, who identified himself as Nick Berg of Philadelphia (C) seated in front of his five masked captors moments before he was executed. Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq beheaded an American civilian and vowed more killings in revenge for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, an Islamist Web site said on Tuesday. After one of the masked men read out a statement, they pushed Berg to the floor and shouted 'God is greatest' above his screams as one of them sawed his head off with a large knife then held it aloft for the camera. (Reuters Tv/Reuters)

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (Reuters) - The family of Nick Berg, the 26-year-old American civilian beheaded in Iraq (news - web sites), said on Tuesday they were devastated by his death.

In a statement read on the lawn of the Berg family's home in West Chester, Pennsylvania, 15 miles west of Philadelphia, neighbor and friend John Hauser described Nick Berg as "a great kid."

"The Berg family is devastated by this loss," the statement said. "They want to extend their sympathy to other families who have also suffered. They are asking the army to expedite the release of Nick's body so they can make arrangements and put this behind them."

Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq beheaded Berg and vowed more killings in revenge for the "Satanic degradation" of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of U.S. troops, an Islamist Web site said on Tuesday.

[aliquis]

You've got issues... Take them elsewhere.

[HitmanLV]

Blaming the US media for running real pictures isn't helpful.

Blaming the UK media for running fake pictures is legit.

Blaming Arab media for running fake pictures is legit also.

[marty60]

Is mcCain, et al happy now. They all had to do their HATE AMERICA thing. The BLOOD of this man is on the hands of the media,congress and the rest of the pervs that hate Bush.

[Travis McGee]

I didn't hear about it.

[Sender]

Yes, if the terrorists thought that this beheading would cause Americans to grow weak and run away, they were mistaken.

It is wise for all Mohammedans to watch their six. And not only in Iraq. All of them.

[TankerKC]

Knowing the DemonRats, they'll probably say that al Qaeda entered Iraq because of our invasion.

A caller already said it on Michael Medved's show.

[jwpjr]

I have felt certain from the outset that there was something not right about those pictures. I don't know what for sure, but from day one they just haven't looked to me like the Real McCoy. A lot of little things, like all those prisoners and one or two guards, etc. Something just doesn't ring true about the whole thing. Maybe we will know the full story someday.

[onyx]

I think nuking should be a last resort when facing imminent anihilation. Not the first knee-jerk reaction to a savage execution.




Proof please?

[HitmanLV]

You must be in a dream world if you thought I suggested that CBS aired these pictures for anything more than ratings and MONEY. I didn't speak to that matter at all.

I did say that the soldiers are to blame for taking the pictures. They are.

The media did what it usually does. They aren't saints (for example they love these pictures but won't show us the Pearl or or Berg videos, nor stills of the WTC attack). So they are fakes.

But somehow blaming CBS for these pictures isn't very helpful.

[HitmanLV]

Behead no one and I am not an idiot.

[NCLaw441]

You said: CBS isn't to blame for the pictures, the soldiers are to blame for the pictures.

I have to disagree. CBS is not responsible for the taking of the pictures, but they, and other media, elected to SHOW them. This was an editorial decision, and it has had murderous consequences. The media cannot deny their part in the gruesome death of Nick Berg. Their publication and continued placing of these images "above the fold" directly contributed to the death of this young man. CBS and others knowingly or recklessly caused a death. It cannot be denied.

[HitmanLV]

I don't see blaming CBS as productive. If they didn't run the pics, someone else would have. Thinking anything else isn't helpful.

The soldiers are to blame for taking these pictures - there is no excuse for that. If they never took pics and video, this wouldn't have happened.

[Wolfstar]

Thank you CBS and the rest of the media whores.

I'll second that, and add a bitter "thanks" to the family of that soldier who is involved in the prison thing. Instead of taking his punishment like a man, he let his daddy and uncle go to CBS with the photos. They knew what would happen, but they didn't care so long as they might have a shot at getting "sonny boy" off the hook.

[ET(end tyranny)]

The Bergs last heard from their son April 9, when he said he would come home by way of Jordan.

That's a month ago. The mother later says she had been trying for weeks to get her son's body home.

My guess is that they killed him after he spoke to his parents and that the prison stuff had nothing to do with it.

[Spunky]

Michael Savage said something yesterday that got me thinking. He said that Islamic terrorists don't fear death, they glorify it. They strive for martyrdom and their 72 virgins, so using the threat of death as an interrogation tool won't work. Savage said that what the Islamic terrorists do fear is humiliation. Savage said that using humiliation to soften the terrorists prior to interrogation is more threatening to them than using the fear of death.

See my posting at #30. That is why I think they would have fought off those who were trying to humiliate them. In my posting I said I don't see these prisoners handcuffed, so what kept them from fighting to the end to prevent this humiliation unless it was all staged?

[onyx]

and all I said about Rummy was that he f'd up the war planning. That is just a fact.




You are long on opinion and supposition,
but short on fact.
The above is not a fact at all.
This war is not over and it is far from being lost.
Now what is your agenda?
The obvious?

[jwpjr]

May God comfort you and bring that time when you can look back on her life with something other than grief. It may not seem like it right now, but there will come a time when thinking of her will bring not grief, but appreciation for her life. Please accept my heartfelt sympathy for your loss. I can't even begin to imagine how painful it is for you.

[FormerLib]

Knowing the DemonRats, they'll probably say that al Qaeda entered Iraq because of our invasion.

A caller already said it on Michael Medved's show.

I can't say that I'm surprised because I know, as I'm sure do all of you, that there's just no limit to how low these folks can sink.

I hope Medved called him meshugena and hung up on him!

[Redbob]

What, were they embarrassed their son turned out to be patriotic?

I'd be packing a bag, checking flight schedules to see how soon I could get to Iraq, see if I could find the guys who did it, if it were my son.

Since it's obvious our government's not going to do anything more about this than they did about the guys who were dragged through the streets.