Posted on 08/14/2004 4:43:47 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
Responsibility for the 13-day detention of Chester County businessman Nick Berg prior to his kidnapping and murder in Iraq rests largely with U.S. authorities, U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.) said yesterday.
Gerlach, whose Sixth Congressional District includes the West Chester suburb where Berg lived, said it was "clear the Iraqi police were only going to hold Nick until such time as they were told by U.S. authorities that it was OK to release him."
"As to why there was that length of detention, and what could have been done to shorten it, that's a question that is still outstanding," he said.
Gerlach made his comments yesterday afternoon after a meeting with Defense Department officials that he had arranged for Berg's father, Michael.
The retired West Chester teacher had been pushing for a face-to-face accounting from Defense and other government officials since his son's detention in Iraq in the spring.
U.S. officials have repeatedly asserted that Iraqi police - not U.S. authorities - arrested and detained Nick Berg.
Michael Berg, in a telephone interview shortly after the hour-long meeting in Gerlach's office, termed the meeting largely unsatisfactory, because he felt that officials were playing "word games" over who had custody of his son - they continued to maintain Iraqi police were in charge, he said - and were unable to answer some of his questions.
But for one brief moment, Berg said, he felt something close to relief.
Across from Berg sat Lt. Col. Bill Kern, whom Gerlach's office had listed as head of the department's Criminal Investigation Command in Mosul, Iraq, while Nick Berg was detained.
During that time, Nick Berg missed his plane flight home, and violence in the country escalated. He was later kidnapped and beheaded by insurgents who posted a video of the slaying on a Web site.
Yesterday, Michael Berg looked Kern in the eye, he related later, and "I said: 'This illegal detention is what cost my son his life.' "
The confrontation, Berg later said, was "somewhat" of a relief. "I guess I just needed to say that."
Michael Berg said he would like more information about his son's death. "Who was it that first abducted him? Was it the same organization that ended up with him? Was he traded? Did anyone make any efforts to negotiate with the American government for his release?
"Not that it will make us feel any better, but somehow or other, you want to know," Berg said.
Berg said the defense officials at the meeting told him they were not the people who would have answers to those questions.
Gerlach said he also felt it was important to find out more about Nick Berg's kidnapping and murder. "We need to find out who they were, and we need to bring them to justice. It is important for this family and for this country," he said.
Defense Department spokesman Lt. Col. Joseph M. Yoswa said the department does not comment "on discussions between family members and officials."
However, he said, "it is an unfortunate and tragic situation. It is a stark reminder of the enemy we face and the horrific extremes they are taking to prevent those who want to help Iraqis become a free, democratic society."
Gerlach had intended for the meeting to include the FBI, which questioned Nick Berg while he was in custody, and the State Department.
However, scheduling problems prevented that, and Berg requested that they go ahead with the Defense Department meeting and try to meet with the other two agencies later.
Gerlach said the conversation also focused on why Nick Berg was not given access to a phone or a lawyer during his detention, or "given the same constitutional rights of due process" any other American would have.
Also, he said, considering that the FBI was called in from the beginning, "12 to 13 days it took for them to do their work... . My question continues to be, and the family's continues to be, why it took that long to check him out."
Gerlach said he might pursue regulatory or statutory changes. Whenever U.S. authorities have a U.S. citizen "in their actual custody or legal custody... there ought to be a standard procedure... or protocol in terms of ensuring the U.S. citizen gets all the rights he should enjoy," he said.
Gerlach said he also hoped to discover in a subsequent meeting whether Nick Berg was offered specific aid in getting out of the country - such as a particular plane flight - or was just given a general offer of help.
Michael Berg said he wonders why officials did not just force his son to leave. He said that one Defense Department official at the meeting told him "that since Nick was thought to be sane, they couldn't deprive him the right of choice of movement."
"I said: 'Well, what had just been done for 13 days if it wasn't depriving him of choice of movement?' "
Note to gerlickmybutt: if we need to hear from you, we'll call
Your recollection is 100% correct.
Angry Father Ping!
Original "research" thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1143602/posts
Don't try to bring facts into this smear!
It was reported that he refused safe transport home. He wanted to do it himself. What were they supposed to do, hogtie him and fly him out? Hardly!
The fact Michael Berg has not sued shows that he's hiding something.
I have a short memory, but gee whiz ... ;)
You know better than to try to point out the truth when liberals are in the middle of a fit!
Thanks for the ping. Daddy Berg's last ghasp, I guess. Someone should send the congresscritter a link to the FR research thread. Perhaps if he understood the weird connections between Prometheus Towers, Aziz, a convicted felon, and 'the nice people who have offered to give me a lift to Jordan' -Nick's words to Aziz - he would keep out of this.
I think he is extremely naive.
And Michael Berg, I have news for you. We know who abducted your son. We know who beheaded him. Islamic Terrorists who are intent upon...oh never mind, you belong to ANSWER.
Jim is my Congressman and an acquaintance of mine. He was in my office yesterday. Shoot! I wish I would have asked him about Nick Berg. I guess it was really fresh in his mind.
I can tell you this much about Jim, he is a good guy and he is doing his job as a Congressman. He works for Republicans and Democrats like Mike Berg. Before he was my Congressman, he was our local Senator and if we needed to get something done with the state, his office was ALWAYS right on it.
I will volunteer for his campaign again this year.
its Michael Berg who should be giving answers here, he knows what his son was really up to.
Posolutely!
Ok, so I know that isn't a real word, but it sure works in this case.
bttt
bttt
/sarcasm
*YAWN*...
Father Berg has toned down his hateful rhetoric. Earlier, it was all Bush's fault. Now it's the US military and the Iraqi police. Maybe in a few weeks he will actually blame the terrorists.
Hey, wait a minute here. I thought that I was to blame for this.
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