Video 'shows US man beheaded'

BBC ^ | 11/5/04 | BBC

[AngloSaxon]

Video 'shows US man beheaded'

The victim said he was an American from Philadelphia An Islamic militant website has shown a video apparently showing the beheading of an American in Iraq. The video showed five men in headscarves and ski masks cutting off the man's head with a knife.

Moments earlier the victim, bound and dressed in an orange jumpsuit, said he was an American from Philadelphia.

The group, thought to be linked to al-Qaeda, said it was carrying out the killing in retaliation for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers.

We will pursue those who are responsible and bring them to justice

Scott McClellan White House spokesman The poor-quality tape - shown on the Muntada al-Ansar site - began with the victim sitting on the floor with five masked men behind him.

It was titled "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown slaughtering an American".

The CIA is said to be checking to see whether Zarqawi - a senior al-Qaeda operative accused of masterminding multiple bomb attacks against US forces in Iraq - was actually in the video.

Washington vowed to find the killers.

"It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

"They have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children. We will pursue those who are responsible and bring them to justice."

However, the victim's father said the US authorities were indirectly to blame for his death for failing to get him safely out of the country.

'Devilish scorn'

The victim identified himself as Nick Berg, a US civilian contractor. His body was found near a highway overpass in Baghdad on Saturday.

Details of Nick's death added to the pain of his grieving family

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

One of the masked men read out a statement, saying they had offered to exchange the man for inmates of Abu Ghraib prison but the coalition authorities refused.

"How can a free Muslim sleep well as he sees Islam slaughtered and its dignity bleeding, and the pictures of shame and the news of the devilish scorn of the people of Islam - men and women - in the prison of Abu Ghraib?" he said.

"You will not receive anything from us but coffins after coffins... slaughtered in this way."

The statement also threatened US President George W Bush, saying he would regret the day he stepped into Iraq.

It described Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as a "traitor agent".

Disappearance

After reading the statement, they pulled the man to the side and put a knife to his neck.

The man screamed as he was killed.

His killers shouted "Allah is great" before holding what appeared to be a head up to the camera.

The 26-year-old Mr Berg, who owned a communications equipment company, was involved in rebuilding antennas in Iraq before he disappeared on 9 April.

But he went missing prior to that, and was later found to have been arrested at an Iraqi checkpoint in Mosul and held in an Iraqi jail with Iraqi prisoners for 13 days, his father told American TV on Tuesday morning, before the video was released.

Michael Berg said the US authorities were indirectly responsible for his death, by failing to secure his release and thereby causing him to miss his flight home on 30 March.

"He would have missed the escalation if they had let him go," he said.

The Berg family declined further comment after receiving news of the video.

[AngloSaxon]

Strange how this isnt getting the same headline news space as the 'abuse' of Iraqi's!!

I think its time we took off the gloves with these evil savages, and showed them what war's really about.

[Numbers Guy]

Notice that the BBC doesn't make it clear the circumstances. It took 30 seconds to cut off his head. He was conscious the entire time. This wasn't some guillotine-type quick whack.

I'm surprised that the BBC didn't refer to "allegedly killed" or "alleged terrorists". Maybe we'll have to wait for the al-Reuters article for that.

[marty60]

I'm all for it.

[Bommer]

I think its time we took off the gloves with these evil savages, and showed them what war's really about

I agree. But the Democraps excuse is that if Bush didn't allow the tortures to happen, this beheading would never have happened. Of course that won't explain Daniel Pearls be-heading, but since when has hypocracy ever stopped the Democraps!

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

The Democrats were concerned about the fashion statement an orange jumpsuit makes, when Susan McDougal was wearing one.

Now they probably won't care though, Hillary isn't pointing and screaming at this.

[MarthaNOStewart]

I agree! We need to send all our well-trained military we can spare and storm that country...we need to eradicate the Shiites and forget taking POW's anymore...it isn't worth it!

[B Knotts]

I think its time we took off the gloves with these evil savages, and showed them what war's really about.

You're talking, of course, about the BBC, right? :-)

[Burkeman1]

I saw a video clip about a year ago of a Russian soldier getting his head cut off by a Chechyan rebel group. It remains the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. It was not quick either.

[snippy_about_it]

"You will not receive anything from us but coffins after coffins... slaughtered in this way."

I wish that all they would recieve from us are the ashes they can dig out of the pile of rumble that was Iraq.

[MarthaNOStewart]

WE NEED TO EMAIL ALL REPUBLICAN SPOKESPERSON'S...WHETHER RADIO OR TV to get more exposure on the fact that "beheading" is a common practice for Al Queda and not something they do in retaliation.
In Fact, we NEED to email congressman and ask for beef-up of our military for protection in Iraq and to forget taking POW's, OR REMOVE ALL FORCES AND BOMB THE HECK OUT OF IT...let's quit pussy footing around and take that country!!!

[So Cal Rocket]

I saw a video clip about a year ago of a Russian soldier getting his head cut off by a Chechyan rebel group. It remains the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. It was not quick either.

I've seen both... the one today is MUCH more disturbing... the video quality shows you exactly what is happening, and his screams are blood curdling...

[Cubs Fan]

Well that's perfectly understandable

When the prisoners were mistreated its bad because they're Iraqis

But when this guy got his head cut off its not a big deal because he's American

You see, big difference

/media bias imitation

[LifeTrek]

I agree - the gloves have got to come off!

We are at war for goodness sake! The media and politicians of all stripes need to realize that and stop rooting for our enemies victories.

I really don't think anyone in the elite media and, other then Joe Liberman, not a single Dem understands this - particularly the "enlightened ones."

I don't think even the long winded Kerry can explain to me how the UN and his allies could have talked these barbarians out of this one. And his law enforcement approach is too little too late. We will all be living in bomb shelters by then
DKK

[MarthaNOStewart]

AMEN BROTHER, and if WE don't rise up and demand some action, then Iraq will be another Vietnam failure. Too many more problems can arise before election to create a loss, UNLESS we just either PULL OUT AND BOMB IT INTO SUBMISSION, or SEND IN enough trained and qualified infantry to storm it and end this nonsense...THIS IS NO WAY TO FIGHT A WAR!!
TAKE THE GLOVES OFF, yeS, I AGREE... this media will kill us with their anti-republican messages if we don't, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO LOSE???

[beelzepug]

"We will pursue those who are responsible and bring them to justice."

No, no, no, no, NO!!! We must pursue those responsible and KILL THEM!!! And some video wouldn't hurt, either. These animals don't understand anything else.

[sailor4321]

Where did you find the latest one?

[Diogenesis]

THIS BEHEADING WAS DIRECTLY DUE TO RATHER, BROKAW, AND JENNINGS AND THE OTHERS AT CNN,NPR,CBS,NBC, and ABC.

[So Cal Rocket]

http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/iraq2vediom.wmv

[small voice in the wilderness]

NBC's Tom Brokaw opened with this. Of course, they said they would not show the gruesome video. WHY NOT, chicken sh*ts?? Everything else is fair game for you media wh*res. And NO, I do NOT want to see this. BUT...