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.

[freepatriot32]

the religion of peace strikes again

[Travis McGee]

ALLAHU AKBAR! = HEIL HITLER!

MEIN KAMPF = MEIN KORAN

[AmishDude]

Ping.

[GaltMeister]

Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq beheaded an American civilian and vowed more killings in revenge for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners

I thought the dim-o-crats said that Al Qaeda was not in Iraq and had nothing to do with Hussein or Iraq? How do they explain this?

[Reagan Man]

For those interested.

Click the link by zencat and see the video. The murder of Nick Berg.

[mass55th]

Thank you CBS and the rest of the media whores.

[Knute]

Our response to this atrocity must be swift and clear.
Their prisoners were humiliated. This prisoner was brutally decapitated. There is no excusing this "in-your face" action on the part of the Al Qaeda Boy's Club.
Nuke 'em!

[Williams]

Note the family wants to "put this behind them." A very odd statement indeed. It just happened. And they are expressing sympathy to others who lost kids. The parents are 100% anti Bush and their congressman was in with them today. Supposedly Nick was pro Iraq war.

[Petronski]

Earlier thread on topic.

[anniegetyourgun]

"Satanic degredation?" No, this cruel and sadistic murder (along with all those in Al-Queda) are Satanic....from hell and bound for hell.

[Reagan Man]

For those interested.

Click the link by zencat and see the video. The murder of Nick Berg.

The LINK

[Williams]

My point is, was there not a word of condemnation for those who killed him? I mean this wasn't even a close call, seeing your son murdered by fanatics that way.

[sonsofliberty2000]

More info:

http://www.pennlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-16/108430077760820.xml?aponline

Pa. family angry with American government over son's brutal death

By JASON STRAZIUSO
The Associated Press
5/11/2004, 2:34 p.m. ET

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — The family of an American civilian shown beheaded on an Islamic militant Web site huddled in in tears Tuesday after learning of the existence of the graphic videotape.

The video showed Nick Berg, 26, in a staged execution carried out by an al-Qaida affiliated group. The video said the killing was to avenge the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers.

"My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Suzanne," the man said on the video before being killed. "I have a brother and sister, David and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."

Berg's family said U.S. State Department officials on Monday had told them Berg was decapitated. The family, though, had wanted that information to remain private.

When told about news of the Web site Nick Berg's father, brother and sister, collapsed to the ground in a tearful hug in their front yard.

"I knew he was decapitated before," said the father, Michael Berg. "That manner is preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become public."

Michael Berg lashed out at the U.S. military and Bush administration, saying his son might still be alive had he not been detained by U.S. officials in Iraq without being charged and without access to a lawyer.

Nick Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. 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.

His father, Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer.

FBI agents visited Berg's parents in West Chester on 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 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.

Michael Berg said he blamed the U.S. government for creating circumstances that led to his son's death. He said if his son hadn't been detained for so long, he might have been able to leave the country before the violence worsened.

"I think a lot of people are fed up with the lack of civil rights this thing has caused," he said. "I don't think this administration is committed to democracy."

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

Berg had traveled several times to Third World countries to help spread technology, his family said. He had previously traveled to Kenya and Ghana, where they said he had purchased a $900 brick-making press for a poor village, the family said.

Berg's mother, Suzanne Berg, said her son was in Iraq to help rebuild communication antennas.

"He had this idea that he could help rebuild the infrastructure," she said.

Michael Berg described himself as fervently anti-war, but said his son disagreed with him.

"He was a Bush supporter," Berg said. "He looked at it as bringing democracy to a country that didn't have it."

Suzanne Berg said she was told her son's body would be transported to Kuwait and then to Dover, Del. She said the family had been trying for weeks to learn where their son was but that federal officials had not been helpful.

"I went through this with them for weeks," she said. "I basically ended up doing most of the investigating myself."

---

Patriot Paradox

[bobjam]

I say we start housing terrorist prisoners in the same place they put Jeffrey Dahmer. If beheading is bad, wait until these al-qaeda types experience death by broom handle.

[RightWhale]

Seems like contractors in the ME would be going armed these days.

[anniegetyourgun]

We may never know how much the family/father makes in the way of $ off the death of his son. I'm certain that the mainstream media and the DNC will be ready to open their checkbooks for dad's bitter rants against Bush.

[hopespringseternal]

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.

And is anyone really stupid enough to believe they wouldn't have killed him anyway?

That is the deal with these savages. They try to cut your throat whether you are trying to kill them or feed them. So you might as well kill them.

[hresources]

I am not going to look at this. They filmed this terible act so people would look at it. Count this guy out.

[FormerLib]

I thought the dim-o-crats said that Al Qaeda was not in Iraq and had nothing to do with Hussein or Iraq?

Knowing the DemonRats, they'll probably say that al Qaeda entered Iraq because of our invasion. And they're so deluded that they'd actually be able to look you in the eye and say that with a straight face, too!

[HiJinx]

The Pentagon practically pleaded with CBS News not to broadcast the Abu Ghraib photos.

They did anyway.

Al-Zarqawi told us Nick was beheaded to avenge the humiliation of Iraqis in Abu Ghraib.

If I were the Berg's, I would be filing a wrongful death suit against CBS, and I would open the bidding at about $300 Million.