I think you've hit the nail on the head. After hearing that this poor guy was Jewish, traveling around Iraq unescorted/protected, and the comment from his Dad about seeing the good in his captors, I truly believe the young man died of naivete. I see this kind of stupid naive behavior and theories around me everyday, and it just boggles my mind.
As a father myself, I believe it is my duty to make sure my daughter is brought up to not be this naive. His dad evidently failed him; I can only hope I don't fail my daughter this badly. I believe that this type of education is a man's first reponsibility to his children.