salon.com contacts DFU over FR's role in murder of Nick Berg by Islamofascist Terrorist b*st*rds

email from salon.com reporter | 5-12-04 | dfu

[doug from upland]

(Note to Admin Moderator: if trolls join this thread to disrupt it or cause problems for FR, please immediately remove stupid, foolish, numbskull, airheaded, threatening, nonsensical comments.)

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Apparently, I am in the middle of a controversy regarding the brutal murder of Nick Berg by the Islamofascist terrorist b*st*rds.

I received the following FReepmail today from a salon.com reporter and spoke to him off the record. I will either call him back on the record or he can use my comments here on the record.

Salon.com inquiry, your post on the "enemies list"
From (redacted) | 05/12/2004 11:45:13 AM PDT read

Doug,

Hello. My name is (redacted), and I'm a reporter at Salon.com. On March 7, you posted a list of signatories to an ANSWER protest; that list, which is now being discussed by a few left-leaning bloggers, includes the name of "Michael S. Berg," who is the father of Nick Berg, the man beheaded in Iraq.

It seems as if you just posted a copy of the list from the ANSWER site, but the trouble is, your list appears much longer than the one on their page. Michael Berg's name -- and many others -- is not on their page.

So I wonder if you can tell me where you got your list -- have you any idea why yours is longer than the one they have?

I also wonder what you think about the fact that you named these people enemies; do you really think they're enemies? Some people on left-leaning blogs are floating the theory that Nick Berg was detained or singled out by U.S. authorities in Iraq because of the list you posted. I wonder what you think of that idea?

I'm not trying to attack you; I'm a reporter trying to get to the bottom of this story, and it'd be great to get your input. Can you e-mail or call, or let me know where to reach you? Thanks so much.

--(redacted)
Reporter, Salon.com (phone number redacted)

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NOTE: my first suggestion was to tell the report to ask ANSWER why many of the names have been removed from that original post.

Here is my post from a few months ago -- HERE IS THE ENEMY -- they have posted their names

Here is the link for the following excerpt on an FR thread -- Beheaded Man's Firm Was On Right-Wing 'Enemies' List

Original source -- original article by Fintan Dunne

Beheaded Man's Firm Was On Right-Wing 'Enemies' List
Breakfornews.com ^ | May 12, 2004 | Fintan Dunne
Posted on 05/12/2004 12:59:00 PM PDT by Tarantulas
Beheaded Man's Firm Was On Right-Wing 'Enemies' List

The family firm of beheaded American Nick Berg, was named by a conservative website in a list of 'enemies' of the Iraq occupation. That could explain his arrest by Iraqi police --a detention which fatally delayed his planned return from Iraq and may have led directly to his death.

Nick Berg, 26 disappeared into incommunicado detention after his arrest by Iraqi police in March, 2004. He vanished again after his release 13 days later. His body was found last Saturday in Baghdad, and a video of his beheading --supposedly by a radical Islamic group-- was posted on the Internet on Tuesday.

The official story of his gruesome murder has many dubious aspects, not least the real reason why Iraqi police detained the young man at a checkpoint. New research by BreakForNews has uncovered a plausible explanation.

The FreeRepublic.com web site and forum has a reputation for right-wing views, often fanatical Republican and relentless pro-war activism.

On 7th March, 2004, just three weeks before the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, an 'enemies' list of anti-war groups and individuals was posted on the Free Republic forum.

It began: "Here you are, FReepers. Here is the enemy."

The list had been copied from publicly available endorsements of a call to action for an imminent anniversary antiwar protest on 20th March, 2004. The protest was being organized under the banner of the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism).

Among those listed as having endorsed the call to action was this entry: "Michael S. Berg, Teacher, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, Inc."

That's Nick Berg's father, Michael who acts as business manager for his son in their family radio communications firm, Prometheus Methods Tower Service.

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Here is my immediate reaction --- what is the color of the sky in the fantasy world which Fintan Dunne calls home?

I can't wait for her next story. Let's set the scenario. Two guys are driving to the airport. Their upper radiator hose bursts, the car overheats, and they miss their flight. They get to the airport a few hours late and are able to catch the next plane. The plane crashes. Fintan Dunne headline: Pep Boys Implicated in Death of Innocent Travelers. If anyone could conceive such twisted logic, it would be Ms. Dunne. Without a defective radiator hose, they would have made it to the airport on time. Without a defective radiator hose they would not have been on the flight where the shoebomber detonated his loafers in the seat just behind the wing.

Do we have an official "enemies list"? If so, what do we do to them? Who is keeping track?

I will let you make some comments before I make additional on the record comments. Please don't be crazy. Think through your argument carefully. Some of this may appear on salon.com and we can perhaps help them get up to about 2 cents per share.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Lets leave a grieving father out of it. Period. People say and do things they don't mean during a time like this. Even if he means it, lets leave it alone, all things considered.

[FastCoyote]

Shenews : Sheila Lennon Shenews is apparently one of these conspiracy theory generating leftwing blogs, it was the only one that came up in Google under a search for "Michael S. Berg" Prometheus ... Here is a pic of the lovely blogger.

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[litany_of_lies]

How about this about a "michael berg":

http://www.charleston.net/stories/091403/loc_14protest.shtml

"This is what democracy looks like. This is what democracy feels like," was one of the more popular chants shouted by about 60 people as they walked several blocks in downtown Charleston on Saturday afternoon.

Maria Clarken, 8, of Charleston slips on a President Bush mask Saturday during a march at Marion Square. The demonstration was sponsored by Thinking People and Charleston Peace.

The march was part of a three-hour peace rally based in a corner of Marion Square, where speaker after speaker expressed the general notion that the American government and military should stop violating other countries and stop oppressing people, including those within its own borders. Specifically, the speakers attacked the Bush administration for America's invasion of Iraq.

"Bush used the terrorist attack on our country to invade other countries for no reason," Michael Berg shouted into a microphone on a small tent-covered stage, his fist punching the air above him. "He has distracted us from the worst economy we've had in years."

Assuming this is the same Michael Berg, or that Nick had a brother named Michael, this guy and/or this family is very active and very involved in ANSWER.

IMHO, there's a lot more to this whole thing than we are seeing.

[dalebert]

Why not remind him of the lefts roll in Berg's death? Also Berg was offered safe passage home and did not take it. I don't buy the detained business. Sounds like they are trying to use this to get something going that has nothing to do with the truth.

[ApplegateRanch]

How could the Iraqis read FR ? I doubt they have P4's with 2 gig of ram and broadband service.

Same way I do...AMD K-6 350MH 256MB 56K dial up, and a blown chip on the (unused) Ethernet controller: SLOWLY!

[MonroeDNA]

Hillary started this, and her usefull idiots are responding.

It just doesn't seem to work anymore...They've lost control of the media, by the advent of the new media.

That's she she wants to shut down FR.

Her usefull idiots are responding.

[billhilly]

" They haven't had a good turn at the "right wing nuts" since Oklahoma City, and if a semi-legit outlet like Salon reports this, it WILL get picked up. We'd best be ready for the onslaught."

That you, Rip? Van Winkle?

[Cacique]

bttfl

[ClancyJ]

What is amazing to me is that apparently Michael was raised around this junk against the government and his father's political views, yet, he was wise enough to see through it and decide to be an American, support the Iraq war and even want to help.

The reason they may have had questions about him, is the fact of his father's activities which were public knowledge. That is sure not the fault of an online conservative group - that is the fault of his father's actions.

It appears that Michael had a mind of his own and made many of his own choices - some which did not turn out so well for him.

[ClancyJ]

Whoops - meant Nick - not Michael.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[F.J. Mitchell]

They left an "O" out of Saloon-no one can dream up the stuff they do, sober.

[MinuteGal]

I wouldn't give Saloon the time of day. Anything you say will be used against you.....even "good morning".

Leni

[litany_of_lies]

Yes (with the name correction) it is remarkable.

[yooper]

I think I recall participating in that thread. I recall posting some comical remarks about various names on the list, but I don't recall Berg.

I hope you're not losing any sleep over this. The five Islamanazi cowards are to blame.

My advice would be to direct this reporterette to the thread and let her draw her own conclusions, and say no more.

[cyncooper]

ack!

I always like putting a face with a name. Thanks...I think.

LOL

[billhilly]

"ANSWER's member list includes known communists and anarchists I indeed consider them the enemies of this government. Salon should too, shouldn't they?"

Enemy's of THIS government, yes. Enemy's of democratic administrations, NO! Enemy's of the country? All the way, every day.

[Ron in Acreage]

This may be stupid to ask but here I go. Why do all photos of Berg in the US show him clean shaven and all Iraq photos with a beard? What significance, if any, does the beard have? Religion influenced? Just curious.

[Boot Hill]

So the theory is that by placing Berg's name on the "Enemies List", that is what got Berg killed. What do you say we test that theory and add author Fintan Dunne's name to the "Enemies List" and see what happens.

Who knows, maybe we could get lucky.

--Boot Hill

[js1138]

Did you say "yourworstenema@aol.com" ?