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Could Nick Berg have been hearing different words from his captives than what we heard on the tape? Perhaps what we heard was dubbed in later, and that might explain why he was so calm throughout the "speech."

Maybe they were really talking about him being an abused prisoner, and they would thus avenge his mistreatment. Nick Berg was calm because all he had to do was sit there and play the role -- but he didn't have a clue that he was actually going to die.

The ultimate lesson is that you can't make friends with terrorists, and you certainly cannot trust them. Maybe Michael Moore is sitting on the video because that particular truth would become evident? And a young man died because of it?

Your supposition about Berg playing a role is what I also think. His demeanor in the beginning of that tape seems to suggest that he was not fearful that he was going to die. The orange jumpsuit also plays into your supposition.

Moore's propaganda may have cost an American his life; he may be culpable in the beheading of an American citizen. In his fantasy world, he would probably justify this as a sacrifice for the message of the medium.

According to his friends and Nick was fond of studying various languages and cultures. He gets into the phonetics in one of his e-mails, and he also talks about having difficulty communicating with some Arabs.

So you're right... he may not have grasped what they were saying, exactly.

On the other hand... Daniel Perl was offered sedating drugs, as is a common Islamic practice before beheadings. Daniel Perle rejected the drugs, yet even then, he wasn't freaking out either in his video.

Another reason for his "calmness" could be explained by his personality type. Just noting his choice of hobbies and vocation, along with the many and unvaried accounts of his reckless adventure-seeking.

e.g. going on hikes in forests with his friends at night,
refusing to use a flashlight because it wasn't challenging enough,
insisting on stopping to climb rock faces or high towers he came across on drives with friends,
and taking an impulsive trip to Florida - just on his bike.
His friend said he would also choose to ride his bike on long trips rather than drive, just to enjoy the freedom.