Posted on 05/19/2004 11:03:02 PM PDT by kattracks
After the brutal beheading of Nicholas Berg, his father, Michael, promptly blamed the Bush administration for his son's death. "Nicholas Berg died for the sins of George Bush and (Defense Secretary) Donald Rumsfeld," said Michael Berg. "The al Qaeda people are probably just as bad as they are, but this administration did this."
In the gruesome videotaped execution, al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist Abu Musab al Zarqawi, flanked by four other terrorists, first read a statement in Arabic: "For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the U.S. administration to exchange this hostage for some of the detainees in Abu Ghraib, and they refused."
Michael Berg implied that the Bush administration should have considered this prisoner-exchange offer, "I would like to ask (Bush) if it is true that al Qaeda offered to trade my son's life for the life of another person. And if that is true, well, I need that information . . . and I think the people of the United States of America need to know what the fate of their sons and daughters might be in the hands of the Bush administration." Does Michael Berg truly mean that, when an enemy in a war zone captures an unauthorized American civilian, policy requires that we trade him for captured terrorists?
Now one certainly wants to give wide latitude to the grieving Berg family. Imagine their pain and suffering. How does one cope with such a brutal, sub-human execution? In time, hopefully, Mr. Berg can achieve at least some perspective.
For, consider the following:
Nicholas Berg traveled alone, with neither a bodyguard nor a translator, carried a passport with an Israeli stamp on it, had a Jewish surname, spoke no Arabic, and the Iraqi police apparently picked Nick up after a night of drunken mischief.
People with whom Nick associated in Iraq describe him as oblivious to the danger around him. According to one account, Andy Duke, an American businessman staying at the same hotel as Nick Berg, said, "I would call him adventurous. He was very comfortable that the political risks here weren't any greater than the physical risks of being up on a tower." Another hotel resident, Chilean journalist Hugo Infante, said, "He was always concerned about his business. He never talked about the war. . . . He was never worried about his safety here, never worried about the bombings."
Governmental authorities and the Berg family give different accounts over some details of Berg's experience in Iraq. According to U.S. officials, the Iraqi police detained Nick for 13 days, then released him. The Berg family produced an e-mail in which a U.S. consular officer in Iraq wrote that Berg was "being detained by the U.S. military." The U.S. government denies ever taking Nick into custody, and calls the e-mail incorrect, due to the consular officer's misinformation from the Coalition Provisional Authority. Beyond this, the FBI says it warned Berg of the danger in Iraq, and even offered a charter jet to fly him out of the country. Berg's father confirmed the offer, but stated that his son rejected it because Nick thought it too dangerous to travel to Baghdad International Airport.
Michael Berg admits he supports neither the war nor Bush, but called his son a Bush supporter who agreed with the president's decision to invade Iraq. Nick sought to be part of Iraq's reconstruction and the wished-for evolution into a free and democratic state.
In directing his outrage, Michael Berg might wish to compare the Arab world's widespread coverage of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal versus the tepid response over Nick's execution. According to NBC News, "TV coverage (about Nicholas Berg's killing) was scant but sympathetic, with the two major Arab networks, Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, carrying the story as a brief news item for half a day."
A few Arab countries, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, quickly condemned the beheading. So did the terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
"Hezbollah condemns this grisly act which has caused great harm to Islam and to Muslims by this group which falsely claims to belong to the religion of mercy, compassion and genuine human values," said the Hezbollah statement.
But the terrorist organization qualified its condemnation: "By its suspicious actions and links, this group belongs to the Pentagon school -- the school of killings, occupation, crime, torture and immoral practices as exposed by the big scandal in the occupation prisons." Similarly, a Hamas representative qualified its outrage: "I condemn this brutal act and sympathize with the family of the slain American man, who I consider the victim of the wrong U.S. policies in the region. U.S. President George Bush and (Berg's) killers are equally responsible." Right.
Nicholas Berg died because wanton, brutal Islamist killers fear a free, prosperous and democratic Iraq in their midst. Period.
©2004 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
bump
This guy is not "misguided" he knows exactly what he is doing and is using his dead son to do it. Damn I wish we would stop giving these people a pass. It is just like the "victims families" at the 911 hearings. They are using their dead to score political points.
First time I have head that.
"apparently picked Nick up after a night of drunken mischief. "
LOL I never heard that before either.
I did hear on Fox though that some of the people at the hotel said he would stay out all day, and come back late at night with a bag of "drinks".
Hate knows no bounds and hate seeks its own country rather than the murderers of their loved ones. Why is this?
What an absolute waste. Where is the hate for the terrorists that killed their loved ones?
I cannot honestly say. It goes beyond my understanding.
'probably' ?
Mr. Berg is 'defintily' experiencing a serious state of denial. As are all the members of the 'war is not the answer' crowd.
There is absolutely no serious deals that can be struck with a group of jihadists barbarians who swear 'death to america'. What on earth would be the terms of the deal with these jihadists ? Death to only half of america ?
Hate consumes all.
It's sociopathic denial. This father can't process the profound corruption and dishonesty of his life ideology.
When you've committed your life world view to an acceptance that anti-American elements are the "good guys" ... it is one ballbreaking mofo of a dissonance when your "good guys" saw your son's head off with a dull knife for worldwide internet distribution.
If you're a man ... you withdraw into introspection and pray to God for enlightenment and inspired direction. If you're a punk ... you surround yourself with enablers, schedule media events and lose yourself in the empty quest to project your shame on others.
I try to give them a pass, but they often seem like the Palestinians...They hate (Fill in the blank: Jews, Christians, President Bush, America) more than they love their children.
Oh ... and we're dealing with a sizeable generation of Michael S. Berg ilk punks.
They own the media and have infiltrated our most precious American institutions. The 60s radicals are turning 60. They're weilding their power with reckless abandon in our news outlets, schools, city halls and heretical churches. Desperately.
Their time is done, and they know it.
Americans of good will and faith are gonna pancake them. The worst of the "Baby Boom" generation, which produced the best and the worst in American history, are on borrowed lifespan time. They're entering the twilight of their lives and influence, and they'll die unfullfilled, bitter wraiths.
I will admit right now that I'll refuse to say a good thing about Ted Kennedy when his ticket is Heavenly punched. I might come on FR and say "Good". I just might uncork some bubbly in private. I am thankful when scumbags lose and America wins.
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