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.

[Petronski]

Ronald McDonald if you get a bad cheeseburger?

One time I got a bad cheeseburger, so me and my crew took the Hamburglar behind the restaurant and pistolwhipped him real bad.

Now I get the best sandwiches they have, every time.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

So you're saying if the kids Dad belonged to Intl. A.N.S.W.E.R he deserverved what he got or his Dad deserved to have his son killed? That now he doesn't deserve our sympathy? Thats twisted in my humble opinion. See, I can still disagree with his or his families political ideologies yet have compassion for them. Because I'm human, I'm not like the animals that did this to a fellow American. (But to be honest, I'm pretty sure Nick had REPUBLICAN ties. Perhaps that won't be the case in the long run, but no matter what, no parent, no one deserves what this family is going through no matter what political affiliation or organization they belong to).

We both served so Americans could have a different opinion. Thats what living in a Republic is about. Thats what a "free" democracy is about. As sick as I think Intl. A.N.S.W.E.R is, this is America. Obviously Nick got himself into something too deep to handle. But for now I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that "his" intentions were good.

He sure didn't deserve to die like he did, no one does.
I saw the video and heard Nick Berg scream as he died.
It wasn't a quick cutting off of someones head. They had to SAW his head off. It was agonizingly slow. You should have seen the kids face, and heard his screams. I think people like you should see it. They say Nick Berg was an enterpreuner that was honestly trying to do good things around the world. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. The truth will come out. The point is, he died a horrific death. Until the story does totally unfold we should leave it alone. Allow this family to grieve. Follow President Bush's lead. A fellow American died a horrific death, and we should all be outraged.

I worked hospice for many years. Families say and do things in "normal" times of grief that they otherwise wouldn't say or do. This was not a normal death. I can't imagine the images they must have of their son and brothers last moments on this earth. People should stop for a second and put themselves in their shoes.

Rush saw the video too. He decided to describe what he saw and heard. Perhaps he can get through to people like you for now. I wish everyone would just step back for a while and give this family a break. They are real people in real pain.

"RUSH: And after all of that, I then decided that were Nick Berg a part of my family, I don't know how I'd deal with it. It was bad enough watching a fellow American undergo a purposeful execution. I'm going to tell you again, folks: No guillotine here. There's no "beheading." Don't fall for this beheading business if you haven't seen this. If you have, you know what I'm talking about. It's not, and I just couldn't even begin to comprehend what it would be like for a family member to have to live the rest of your lives with this.

And in the context of that, whatever anybody in that family thinks, says or feels, they get a total pass from me. Whatever they think, say or feel is totally understandable. I don't care what it is. It is just unbelievable, and especially having seen it, to continue to hear some Americans try to establish some degree of similarity between the kind of people we are and the literal human debris that make this their life, just beyond my comprehension. I don't even want to try to persuade them or talk to them. It is not possible. They're not rational themselves, people who are able to make this kind of equivalence."

[doug from upland]

Political views are irrelevant. No one deserves to have his son brutally murdered.

We can mock and criticize those who are foolishly giving aid and comfort to the enemy. They deserve that for hurting our country while we are at war and for endangering the lives of our soldiers. When a tragedy like this happens, however, it is time for human compassion for the family and for the capture and execution of the murderers.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Exactly. At least give him the right to grieve.

If he tries to use his son's death as some kind of "platform" then we can expose his true agenda. But for now, let the Dad grieve.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Agree totally. Thanks doug. We need to keep perspective on this, which is what I was hoping to convey.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

PS. Perhaps you didn't see the post I was responding to? (Not sure.)

[sauropod]

"I think people like you should see it."

"Perhaps he can get through to people like you for now."

Spare me your judgmentalism. I have seen these CANSWER pukes up close and personal more times than I care to remember.

Of course I have compassion.

But after what I am reading about Michael Berg and what he is doing with his personal tragedy, there are limits to it.

CANSWER has (or had) on their website a statement of support for the Iraqi "insurgents." This directly goes against our troops. CANSWER is not "anti-war." They are pro-terrorist and pro-communist.

Next time before you decide to lecture "people like" me, please do your homework.

[doug from upland]

I just read it. Yes, let's keep it in perspective and let the family grieve.

[cyborg]

Dad is milking it for all its worth. I have zero sympathy for him, just for his poor son who was a greater man than his POS father. BTW, I'll never get that scream out of my memory.

[doug from upland]

I will not watch or listen to the video. Come on, let him grieve for awhile.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

I've done my homework. If you care to go back to the beginning of this war and then to my posts from that time frame, you'll see many a link "educating" people about Intl. A.N.S.W.E.R. (I even spell it right).

This is beyond that. It's about us being "above" their level. Being better human beings than they are.

[cyborg]

Hannity played it yesterday. After hearing the 30 second clip I have NO interest in seeing it. Okay maybe I was a little mean about not having any sympathy for the father. I HOPE that's just grief speaking.

[CougarGA7]

One time I got a bad cheeseburger, so me and my crew took the Hamburglar behind the restaurant and pistolwhipped him real bad.

You pistolwhipped the Hamburgalar? YOU MONSTER! LOL.

[doug from upland]

Amazing. Check out the F'ing Kerry site:

CLICK.

[sauropod]

Then if you have done your homework, I'd appreciate you not insulting me, e.g., "people like you," and implying that I do not have "compassion."

Because you have supposedly "done your homework," I should not have to explain exactly what these creeps are.

I have counterprotested them numerous times and they are even more venemous and loathsome in person.

[headsonpikes]

We are actually sharing oxygen with them.

I'll try to breathe deeper.

[cyborg]

hehehe

[Petronski]

He had it coming to him. As for Mayor McCheese, well, ain't gonna see him no more.

[RummyChick]

This just keeps getting funnier and funnier

"when this thing initially broke my first reaction to this "website" it was posted on was that the "website" was set up by US covert ops to carry disinformation."

[Saundra Duffy]

a detention which fatally delayed his planned return from Iraq and may have led directly to his death

This is ridiculous. What led to his death was five satanic hooded monsters who haven't got one ounce of decency among them.