Posted on 06/29/2004 4:36:57 PM PDT by Max Combined
LONDON (Reuters) - The father of an American civilian beheaded in Iraq (news - web sites) accused President Bush (news - web sites) and the U.S. media Tuesday of ignoring the "horrible face of war."
"People like George Bush and (U.S. Defense Secretary) Donald Rumsfeld (news - web sites) don't see the pain that people have to bear -- they don't know what it feels like to have your guts ripped out," Michael Berg told a news conference.
The decapitated body of Berg's son Nick was found by a roadside in Baghdad and a grisly video of his beheading was posted on an Islamist Web site in May.
"What I'm trying to do is show to the American people and the British people ... that war has a wretchedly horrible face," said Berg's father.
The elder Berg was in London to speak at a demonstration against the foreign troop presence in Iraq Wednesday, which had been scheduled to coincide with the planned U.S. transfer of power to the Iraqi people.
Nick Berg, 26, traveled to Iraq several times looking for work in the reconstruction effort before going missing on April 9.
"He thought he was supporting the Iraqi people and the Bush administration by going over there, not with a gun but with his engineering tools," Michael Berg said.
Bush and the American media have ignored the "true horrors," added Berg senior, who has blamed Bush and Rumsfeld for his son's death in previous interviews. He said he believed anti-war sentiment was now very strong in the United States.
"There are 11,000 plus Iraqi citizens that are dead and each one's family is as affected as I was, but the American media doesn't cover these people. It doesn't cover the people who are suffering the most."
Nick Berg was one of dozens of foreigners kidnapped in early April as U.S. forces launched an offensive on the restive city of Falluja, west of Baghdad.
He was believed to have been beheaded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an al Qaeda supporter.
Since his death, militants have also beheaded U.S. hostage Paul Johnson in Saudi Arabia and South Korean Kim Sun-il in Iraq. All three men were videotaped wearing orange jump suits similar to those worn by prisoners in U.S. detention facilities like Guantanamo Bay.
"This is not a game that people in Washington get to play," Michael Berg said. "It affects people the way it's affected me and my family and the families of Paul Johnson, Kim Sun-il and the thousands of Iraqis."
"Observing someone's pain just makes you think just how can they (Bush and Blair) possibly do this. There isn't enough money in the world that could ever make this worthwhile."
I'm sure Mr Berg's grief is overwhelming but exploiting his son's death is a shameful way to memorialize his life. President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld did not send Nick Berg or Kim Sun-il to Iraq. Both were civilians who traveled independantly to a dangerous war zone, both were well aware of the risks as were their families. They were not killed by soldiers in combat, they were slaugthered by islamic barbarians.
Islamic terrorists are without conscience or respect for any life. They would just as soon butcher an innocent muslim child as an "infidel" if it served their purpose. These perverts intend to take over the world and wherever they go there is death, destruction and misery. Nick Berg's brutal murder was a horror that civilized people will never forget. Nor will we forget that in the aftermath, Nick's father refused to let him rest in peace by continuing to pursue a political agenda that his beloved son did not agree with.
Exactly -- and when MICHAEL MOORE and his ilk scream that Iraq's Saddam Hussein NEVER harmed one American, leftists easily "forget" that Hussein attempted to assassinate former President Bush. Not only is President George H.W. Bush an American, he's one damn fine American at that.
Re;your tagline,it's amazing that someone's hairy palms don't get entangled in their keyboard when they post articles.
It is not understandable, except in terms of gross immaturity, brainwashing, and cowardice.
Mr. Berg should be full of rage at the Islamo-fascists, and at least tolerant and respectful of the president who fights them.
I think the father still deserves an exemption from criticism at this juncture. I can't imagine his pain. Can someone provide a link to the Moore connection? I've never heard that before......
Old Man Berg Alert!
There's been HUGE threads chronicling both father and son's activities.Nick Berg met with Michael Moore before he went to Iraq.This is NOT a rumor.The father is a proud,active member of A.N.S.W.E.R. and has used the beheading of his son,as a stick,to beat President Bush and revile this country.
If his son had been serving in the military,been with the media,or a civilian contractor,then maybe,he'd deserve some sort of consideration...if he were able to keep his foul mouth shut.
soccermom, you need to be prepared to do a lot of reading. Several of us found some very interesting connections to Mr. Berg and Michael Moore. You will really begin to wonder about Berg after you read the thread. Caution, though, it is very long.
We wouldn't have much respect for a soldier who freaked out and wouldn't fight anymore because he lost a buddy. We'd have even less respect for a parent who was furious with the police, but not the perpetrator, because his son was murdered in a ghetto.
The least we can expect from Mr. Berg is not to make an utter ass of himself by blaming absolutely the wrong people and letting the savages, who butchered his son, off easy.
Original "research" thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1143602/posts
Exactly right,
but Mr. Berg is a left-wing radical.
Thanks, Howlin! I am going to bookmark it.
This guy's a certified loon. I wouldn't be surprised by anything he says.
Too bad he's giving validity to the views of the very monsters who beheaded his son. Incredible.
I particularly enjoyed the GOP rebuttal in this balanced article.
Didn't catch it?
The GOP rebuttal, for those who don't follow Reuters, is always 'virtual'. That is, it can only be imagined.
GOP-favorable news is accompanied by generous space for the favorite Leftist of the hour to attack the GOP position before it has even made the first news cycle.
But Socialist anti-American news is accompanied only by imaginary GOP rebuttals, and goes round and round the news cycle for days unchallenged.
Eventually, a GOP position article may emerge, typically in the context of "Democrats blast GOP censorship" or "Bush is a fascist".
Results 1 - 10 of about 241 for "democrats outraged. (0.18 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 141 for "republicans outraged. (0.22 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 767 for "democrats slam. (0.16 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 120 for "republicans slam. (0.22 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 2,290 for "kerry slams bush. (0.23 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 78 for "bush slams kerry. (0.33 seconds)
Which reminds me -- I've heard that both Nick Berg and Paul Johnson were from the same location in the US. And that "certain people" are looking for the very same man who recruited both. Anyone else hear of this?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.