Posted on 09/20/2004 1:01:10 PM PDT by CFW
The Associated Press - MARIETTA, Ga.
Family friends were seen coming and going from John Hensley's house, as news spread that a Web site posting had claimed one of the American hostages in Iraq was beheaded Monday.
An al-Qaida linked group threatened in a videotape Saturday to behead two Americans and a Briton within 48 hours. The videotape was the first word on the fate of the 48-year-old Hensley, fellow American Eugene Armstrong and Briton Kenneth Bigley since the three construction workers were kidnapped from their Baghdad home Thursday.
The claim in the posting, which did not identify which man was killed, could not be verified.
The short statement was posted by a Web site contributor using the pseudonym Abu Maysara al-Iraqi, who has put up past statements signed in the name of the Tawhid and Jihad group. The posting promised video proof "soon."
Al-Zarqawi "has beheaded the first American. The group will next behead the others," the statement said.
A police barricade was set up on the leafy suburban street in Marietta that ends with a cul-de-sac, as local officers stopped all vehicles, trying to prevent reporters and television cameras from getting any closer to the Hensleys' home Monday afternoon. Dozens of media vehicles were parked along the otherwise quiet street leading up to the checkpoint near Hensley's modest ranch home.
Earlier in the day, Jack Hensley's wife, Patty, told ABC's "Good Morning America" in a taped interview that her husband had always been optimistic about his work in Iraq and in his safety. But that had changed during the past week or so, she said.
Security guards who had been with the workers in Iraq morning and night stopped showing up for work, she said. She says her husband told her, "If they did, they had an excuse and they needed to leave."
On NBC's "Today" show Monday, Ty Hensley said his brother, who went to Iraq in February after failing to find construction work and needed money to support his family, recently wrote home saying he was being "staked out" and that the guards feared for their own safety.
"One told him, 'I have to leave this work, or they will kill me,'" Ty Hensley said.
Patty Hensley also appeared on Al-Jazeera television Monday, saying she believed her husband, like all Americans in Iraq, was there to help the Iraqi people.
Patty Hensley told ABC that the couple raised their 13-year-old daughter to believe that everybody in the world is good.
"Her first question to me is, `Why would anybody hurt my daddy?' I can't explain," she said.
In Marietta, Hensley's family has asked for privacy. A family spokesman who answered the phone at the Hensley home declined comment to The Associated Press.
At 3:50 pm EST, CNBC reported that Armstrong's body has been found.
"...the couple raised their 13-year-old daughter to believe that everybody in the world is good..."Her first question to me is, `Why would anybody hurt my daddy?'..."
- - -
Honey, you remember when I told you that "everybody in the world is good?"
Well, I was lying.
God be with the remaining hostages.I am so sorry for the families...Find and destroy these monsters!
From looking at the video, it appears that the guy they beheaded was not Hensley but was Armstrong.
Each beheading seems to become more gruesome.
This poor man was awake and conscious until the end :(
DON'T WATCH THIS VIDEO!
It's 10 times worse than the Berg video and I came close to vomiting watching this. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE stuff.
There was about 7 minutes of the usual speech reading crap while he was tied up in an orange jumpsuit visibly shaking and rocking back and forth.
This will give you nightmares.
I agree with Finnman69.
This is one of the worst yet.
How can anybody be so clueless?
At 13, the daughter be taught the truth, but that's my opinion.
Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. These MONSTERS will be brought to justice!
Oh my! Marietta is right around the corner from me!
Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for the family of the man who was murdered. I pray for strength and comfort for them in this horrible time. And as inadequate as words are to express my sorrow they also fail to express the hate I have for those who would kill innocents in the name of their god. Part of me takes great comfort in my belief that they will stand before the throne of the true God someday and be forced to give an accounting for their lives, but another part would even now pray for their souls and their salvation. As the great old Southern Gospel song says, "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through." The God I serve tells me to do good to those who would harm me and to pray for my enemies. I'm not at that point in my walk with God yet, and frankly not too sure I will ever be at that point. All I can say is thank God for knowing that I am only human and providing me with a means to get right with Him! God bless this family!
...justice" Big-time Revenge time!
Really?
Me too.
This one has been tough.
Yup. I'm inside the perimeter on the Northern side of town.
These beheadings are outfreakingrageous. After the first one I thought, "we'll really kick some ass now." But now I've lost count of these things though I am no less incredulous, no less outraged everytime these f*cking animals pull this.
I admit I'm out of the mass media loop. Is there any outrage? Is anyone, anywhere in a bully pulpit saying enough is e-f*cking-nough? Because, "the families of the victims are in our thoughts and prayers" just isn't going to muster the testosterone necessary to put the enemy under our feet.
Where is the video?
I'm in shock over this. My stomach is doing backflips. If I hear John Kerry try to drag this into a political speech I'm going to go ballistic...
Have not been able to bring myself to watch any of the beheading videos. Too afraid I'll never sleep again.
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