Parents blame Bush for son's execution

financial times ^ | Published: May 12 2004 5:00 | Joshua Chaffin

[CGASMIA68]

Parents blame Bush for son's execution By Joshua Chaffin in Washington Published: May 12 2004 5:00 | Last Updated: May 12 2004 5:00

Parents of a UScontractor executed by Islamic militants in Iraq are blaming the Bush administration for his death, saying that US authorities had contributed to the tragedy by unlawfully detaining their son for nearly two weeks before his disappearance.

Michael Berg claimed yesterday that his son, Nick, was held by US authorities without access to a telephone or lawyer because of suspicions that he was an insurgent or terrorist. By the time he was finally released in early April, according to Mr Berg, the security situation had so deteriorated that it was difficult for him to make his way home.

"That's really what cost my son his life, the fact that the United States government saw fit to keep him in custody for 13 days without any of his due process or civil rights," Mr Berg said.

Nick Berg, a small business owner from Pennsylvania, went to Iraq in December to help rebuild the country's infrastructure. Instead, he became the latest western contractor to have died a grisly death in that pursuit.

His headless body was found on a roadside by US soldiers yesterday. A video from an al-Qaeda-affiliated website depicted his decapitation by a gang of men who claimed to be taking revenge for the abuses committed by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison.

The execution drew outraged comments from US leaders. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said those responsible had "no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children".

Rick Santorum, a Republican senator from Mr Berg's home state, called it "an outrage to the civilised world", and said: "If anyone wants to know what we're fighting and why we're fighting this war on terrorism, this is a very good example of it."

The family's accusation comes as the Bush administration struggles to fend off allegations that it has denied the civil rights of thousands of mostly Arab detainees it is holding in military prisons around the world on suspicion of terrorism.

Mr Berg was apprehended by Iraqi officials near the northern city of Mosul on March 24, according to his father, who claims that he was then interrogated by FBI agents.

Mr Berg was released on April 6, a day after his parents filed a lawsuit in federal court naming defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a defendant, and claiming that their son was being unlawfully held. They last heard from him on April 9.

The FBI said it was premature to comment on the case. An official familiar with the case acknowledged that FBI agents had interviewed Mr Berg, but said he was in Iraqi - not American - custody. The official was unable to clarify the legal difference between the two, given the US occupation.

But Mr Berg's father disputed this, saying it was "the FBI", when asked in a radio interview who had detained his son.

"We named Rumsfeld as the responsible person, and I still hold him responsible," Mr Berg said. "It's the whole Patriot Act. It's the whole feeling of this country that rights don't matter any more because there are terrorists about," he added. Additional reporting by Edward Alden

[G Larry]

Will some political cartoonist please illustrate the following:
Kennedy, Kerry, Dayton, Mike Wallace, & the CBS reporter who released the photos, in "terror garb", executing Berg.

They are EQUALLY as responsible for Berg's death, as the soldiers who mistreated the Iraqi prisoners.

Their never ending chorus, accompanied by the continual parade of photos, contributed significantly to this execution, as well as the horror still to come.

[Howlin]

Don't forget Hackworth.

[fly_so_free]

Apparently Mr. Berg is a member of ANSWER. I am sorry for the loss of his son.

I pray that Mr. Berg will at some point, realize that we are in a life and death conflict against evil men who would gleefully wipe out his whole family, given the chance.

Also, it is obvious that anybody in Iraq, especially American, and civillian, is taking a chance in going there. If he didn't have an actual job there, that's taking even more of a risk. This man's son could have just as easily been kiddnaped earlier, can't blame that on his detention, though I'm sure the media vultures are going to have a field day with this.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Prayers are in order.

Facts:

American

26 y.o.

Male

Young Berg entered Iraq voluntarily

Young Berg entered Iraq unemployed

Young Berg arrested by Iraqi police and held 13 days

Young Berg gets out of jail

The name Berg sounds Jew to Jew haters

Young Berg gets stolen by Koranazis while world media is in orgasmedia over the rude G.I.s' pictures of muslim men being "treated like women" - (some Arab headline last week), and our dishonorable to treasonous political Bravefarts rumenating their bile for the eager Beltway lickspittles. al-CNN et al. run loops 24/7

Berg the Younger gets islam's holy ritual murder, the same honor afforded Daniel Pearl by devout muslims with video cameras, but our media's finest only can say the deaths are "simular".

Berg the Younger meets lallah with Mo'ham's favorite way on his way to God while All Jazz Era just whistles another tune.

Informed of islam's ritual carried out again, Berg the Elder blames USA for lack of the Bergs' fantasized but nonexistant Iraqi "due process" while deep into this theater of islam's Terror WAR and now stressing Bush's failure to get Berg the Younger out of Iraq safely.

I can understand Berg's parents' grief, but GOOD GRIEF!

When is anyone with "gravitas" going to accept that Koranazism has launched this religious war, just another reignited Terror War toward world conquest as commanded by islam's "holy scriptures". The others wars of invasion since the cancer broke out of the Arabian Desert failed.

I am sickened by the "Religion of Peace", TM, getting the bad rap after each exercise of their Jew killing religious ritual. Islam is only here to show us infedels the light, to lead us to pair o' dice. If we switch sides accepting this one true faith, and if we learn to kill and die as well as the chumps who buy into Mo'ham's scam of 6 dozen virgins as sex slaves and 2 rivers of wine at the right hand of lallah (but only for the very best fighters - yes, it is a fine print condition in the Sword of Islam contract), we too can get our hands and flashlights into those virgin retreads where lallah is The Pimp of all.

Berg: sounds Jewish

Lallah uuuuaaaaakkkkkkkkkkk barf.

Our Beltway boys and girls fear islam's fatwa war crimes.

[katz]

I found an article at http://jta.org which said that his father Michael endorsed ANSWER but Nick supported the war.

[lilylangtree]

Guess the Bergs haven't talked with McCain yet.

[Howlin]

Oh, exactly. If you thought I meant Nick, I plead sleep deprivation.

He suport the war and Bush.

[nutmeg]

I have been so impressed with Phil Hendrie's comments on the Prison Abuse situation. He sees the whole thing sooo clearly and is able to communicate the issues in such a succinct fashion.

I haven't heard Phil Hendrie for quite awhile now, since some local radio stations switched a bunch of their shows around. I don't think he's on in my area anymore. I thought Hendrie was strictly a comedian... has he switched to conservative political commentary?

[Burkeman1]

I understand that there are even more disturbing photos of American abuse of Iraqis. After this death- I think they should not be published. Describe them- write about them- debate them? Yes. Of course. But since we don't show this poor young man's death then we don't need to show graphic photos of alleged rapes or murders committed by our troops either.

[highlandbreeze]

I'm planning my own little "jihad" in the morning. Starting with a letter to Sen. Dayton. He needs to learn the definition of Atrocity.

[highlandbreeze]

Who is in the last picture?

[madison10]

None of the pictures look like the same person, even accounting for weight loss. Nick would have had to be a prisoner a long time to change so much.

If it is him, he (not trying to be stereotyping here) looks more Middle Eastern in the second picture.

Who is the guy in the bottom picture? Surely no one is saying THAT is Nick Berg.

[searchandrecovery]

ABC News should recruit this guy for their staff.

Ted Koppel is going to read the name "Nick Berg" for an entire show this week (well, there will be commercials, of course). I can't believe the Stewart & Letterman Bush-bashing - shoot, can't watch anything but fox these days. Everything else seems biased and stupid.

[F.J. Mitchell]

" I'm already sick of these people."

Me too.

[Freesofar]

Wild speculation

Could Nicks Daddy have sold him down the river ?

Would a life insurance policy be valid in a war zone?

Hmmmmm, the parents sure seem a little cool about the deal

[Nix 2]

Remember the Italian civilian the b*stards executed? They refused to show it because the guy was defiant to the end. That is what this guy was like and everything I can find out about him points to it. It might have been his body found decapitated, but if it was him, he would have fought them like crazy. He would not simply have allowed them to do this. The guy in this video was like a rag doll.
If it really was Nick Berg and they really did find his body, are sure it was him, then where is it, why haven't his parents been flown to identify him, why is this the first we are hearing of it, when we have heard of every one else either captured or killed, and why hasn't he been shipped home in a casket?
The father sounds rehearsed and not as griefstricken as a parent would who has just found out his son was mutilated by savages. Just like that idiot Reickhoff who sounded just like Kerry 30 years ago. All of this past month's *revelations* put together smells too much like a friggin' setup.
Hillary Clinton was just over there lately on a *fact-finding* mission. Wherever she goes, hell goes riding with her.
Something stinks here.

[Howlin]

I have a pretty short fuse today.

[John Lenin]

They must have watched the video and saw Bush and Rummys face behind the masks. Let's give them a few days and see if they stick to their ass backwards thinking.

[fatima]

tricky_k_1972,I saw that also on local TV,he lives about an hour from here.The reporter said the son supported the Administration and went to Iraq to help build radio towers,looking for work,he was not being paid.

[Nix 2]

al-Zarqawi