[christie]

From the thread: Nicholas Berg: The Dots Do Not Connect

Speaking on condition of anonymity in one media report, a U.S. official said Iraqi authorities detained Berg ''for his own protection'' because his behavior in Mosul seemed unusual for a Westerner. Plus Berg, who was Jewish, had in his possession texts that were considered ''anti-Semitic'' in tone. One of his friends has been quoted as saying that the Iraqi police thought Berg was an Israeli spy. To add insult to injury, Berg was also carrying some literature written in Farsi including a book about Iran.

I also read he had in his possession Iranian money.

Also interesting in that article, and we don't hear much about:

Because he belongs to a far-left peace group and was known to authorities, Nicholas Berg's father likely raised a red flag and was a possible reason that the FBI visited the family in suburban Philadelphia at least three times during the 13 days that Berg was detained.

[AuntB]

I get a strange feeling there are several forces, including the government that don't particularly want something about this incident/associations to come out. And the government may have valid reasons why. Do you expect Michael Burg to come on strong with the interviews, criticisms when he returns from vacation? Given his reputation as an activist why would he do otherwise? It'll be interesting to see. And a lawyer daughter.......whose keeping quiet......and Michael Moore is quiet.....

I'm not staying up all night tonight.........sleep well, ya'll!

[Future Useless Eater]

SO, why did Nick keep traveling to Mosul?... was it to meet his YASSIN relative?...

Nick claims he went to Mosul in January 2004 , NOT to meet his uncle-by-marriage, but the BROTHER of an uncle-by-marriage. So then I stopped to think of ALL of my uncles-by-marriage or aunts-by-marriage, (and I have a LOT of them), and I ask myself: Do I KNOW ANY of their siblings? (who have no relation to me) - No. And that would be a much stronger NO, if that aunt or uncle lived in a foreign country where I had never been.

If its truthful that Nick WAS meeting a sibling of an uncle-by-marriage, it could only have been at the request of his anti-war business manager/father: Michael Berg, who would more likely have known the siblings of HIS in-law.

But personally, I think the whole 'relatives' cover-story is a huge steaming pile of B.S.... Michael's jewish sister, married a muslim in Iraq, PLUS the Berg family in the U.S. stayed close to that muslim family on the other side of the globe? (enough to even know the muslim man's BROTHER?) No way.

Nick's actions seem to better fit the concept of an undercover anti-war activist working for M.Moore. And that would better explain why the M.Moore film-crew was weeping at hearing of Nick's death.


During 2003, Mosul was relatively peaceful, outside the Suuni triangle, and was noted for rock throwing and occasional gunfire.

Apr 16 2003 After a Rock throwing and gun fire incident in Mosul...

"They are killing us and no one's talking about it," Zahra Yassin said at a hospital with her wounded son. We want Saddam back. At least there was security."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/mosul_04-17-03.html

Yunes Yassin, a 28-year-old workman, interviewed separately, told a similar story of how the American troops opened fire, apparently thinking they were coming under attack

Aug 31 2003 - "At the beginning the soldiers were nice, but now they act tough and stubborn with us. When people gather and there is gunfire, they grow mad and crazy," said Khather Yassin, 35, a building guard. "When you pass them in a car, they point their weapons at you for no reason."
http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=774

The Yassin's that Nick mentions in his Jan 4 2004 email... [Note the Yassin family name may also be spelled Yasin.]

• Mudafer Yassin, his so-called uncle-by-marriage
• Moffak Mustaffa Yasin, who is no relation to Nick Berg, and apparently Nick had never met. But Moffak was the person Nick was going to see! Moffak is the brother of Mudafer.
• Moffk's wife, who Nick only saw a glimpse of, and did not even know her name.
• Faras Yassin (about age 20), son of Moffak
• Moyser Yassin, another brother to Moffak and Mudafer.

Nick's purpose in meeting Moffak appears to include setting up Yassin with secure communications and money transfers from the U.S. Nick helped him 'setup email' and was trying to also set him up with an international money-wire transfer account .

---

The Yassin family in Mosul had voiced STRONG opposition to the Coalition, and had ties with Saddam (see below). I suspect this meeting was to connect Mosul's insurgents with a conduit of funds from leftist groups to BUY ARMS.

---

On March 20 2004, Insurgents in Mosul attacked the PUK office. Five mortar shells were fired at the building, [that was 3 days before NB went to 'visit' Mosul for the second time.]

And in April 2004, not only was Mosul having a well-armed insurgency problem. But in Fallujah there was also a new group nearby called the Ahmad Yasin Brigades, which like M.Moore, understood the power of 'video' [the following is from a Vermont sedition website]:

US aggressor forces claimed in a communiqué that 12 Resistance fighters were martyed and their truck destroyed after they opened fire on US invaders . The US statement also asserted that the Americans had killed three more Iraqis after clashes erupted during demonstrations in front of the Mosul municipality building on Friday.

The spokesman said that the Ahmad Yasin Brigades had already killed four Americans whose bodies they retain. The video showed a scene of a body lying in the sand in blood soaked clothing, but no features of the body could be seen.
http://www.neravt.com/left/war/resistance0410-04.html

 
Some other noteable Yasin's from Iraq, connected to Al Qaeda and Saddam...

Musab Yasin --Iraqi with New Jersey apartment where Ramzi Yousef first went.

Abdul Rahman Yasin--Musab's brother, led FBI to apartment where bomb was made; employee of Iraqi government; indicted fugitive, presently in Baghdad.

[Ramzi Yousef was the man who had entered the United States on an Iraqi passport, and masterminded the 1993 WTC bomb/cyanide gas attack.]
http://www.siliconinvestor.com/stocktalk/msg.gsp?msgid=20051418

[Vice President] Taha Yasin Ramadan [the 10 of Diamonds] was arrested Aug 19 2003 in Mosul, where he had been born,

Mukhabarat Assistant Director of D4: Brig. Mohammed Yasin, from Mosul [Iraqi Intelligence Service]