Pa. family angry with American government over son's brutal death

pennlive ^ | 5/11/2004, 2:34 p.m. ET | By JASON STRAZIUSO

[Petronski]

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — The family of an American civilian shown beheaded on an Islamic militant Web site huddled in in tears Tuesday after learning of the existence of the graphic videotape.

The video showed Nick Berg, 26, in a staged execution carried out by an al-Qaida affiliated group. The video said the killing was to avenge the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers.

"My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Suzanne," the man said on the video before being killed. "I have a brother and sister, David and Sara. I live in ... Philadelphia."

Berg's family said U.S. State Department officials on Monday had told them Berg was decapitated. The family, though, had wanted that information to remain private.

When told about news of the Web site Nick Berg's father, brother and sister, collapsed to the ground in a tearful hug in their front yard.

"I knew he was decapitated before," said the father, Michael Berg. "That manner is preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become public."

Michael Berg lashed out at the U.S. military and Bush administration, saying his son might still be alive had he not been detained by U.S. officials in Iraq without being charged and without access to a lawyer.

Nick Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. But Berg was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24. He was turned over to U.S. officials and detained for 13 days.

His father, Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer.

FBI agents visited Berg's parents in West Chester on March 31 and told the family they were trying to confirm their son's identity. On April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military. The next day Berg was released. He told his parents he hadn't been mistreated.

Michael Berg said he blamed the U.S. government for creating circumstances that led to his son's death. He said if his son hadn't been detained for so long, he might have been able to leave the country before the violence worsened.

"I think a lot of people are fed up with the lack of civil rights this thing has caused," he said. "I don't think this administration is committed to democracy."

The Bergs last heard from their son April 9, when he said he would come home by way of Jordan.

Berg had traveled several times to Third World countries to help spread technology, his family said. He had previously traveled to Kenya and Ghana, where they said he had purchased a $900 brick-making press for a poor village, the family said.

Berg's mother, Suzanne Berg, said her son was in Iraq to help rebuild communication antennas.

"He had this idea that he could help rebuild the infrastructure," she said.

Michael Berg described himself as fervently anti-war, but said his son disagreed with him.

"He was a Bush supporter," Berg said. "He looked at it as bringing democracy to a country that didn't have it."

Suzanne Berg said she was told her son's body would be transported to Kuwait and then to Dover, Del. She said the family had been trying for weeks to learn where their son was but that federal officials had not been helpful.

"I went through this with them for weeks," she said. "I basically ended up doing most of the investigating myself."

[Petronski]

Me too, oh diligent one.

[mrustow]

LOL! Thanks, P.!

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Good grief! His old man really IS on the list. If he signed that ANSWER petition, why isn't that brought out in any of the articles?

[SheLion]

And no anger towards CBS or Hackworth.

I repeat:

I'm telling you.........the press and the anti-war movement in this Country will spin "If we never went over there, this would never have happened." Mark my words.

This further inflames those of us that realize that the terrorists have to be stopped. But I fear this will just be more fuel for fire to the anti-war idiots AND the libs!

[Tamzee]

He's lost his son to this unnecessary war. How many relatives do you have in Iraq right helping the war you support so fervently? Calling this grieving father a scumbag is low.

Well, I DID have a relative in Iraq fighting this war until 2 weeks ago when he was killed in a suicide boat attack... al-Zarqawi took credit for that, too.

While I don't agree that this father is responsible for Berg's death, I don't believe he deserves the sympathy or concern we owe Aunt Cathy and Uncle John. Michael was over there for no reason but his belief in standing up for America's security and freedoms and his parents are in agony because he paid the highest price for us all.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/0505VR451CH_news.shtml

[SheLion]

Show the photo of the savages holding Berg's severed head aloft and let the American people get a gut reaction to what kind of people our troops are dealing with.

They have to "sanitized it" you know and protect us like we are little kids.

Shepard said this afternoon before he described the beheading: "Parents, have your children leave the room."

I really believe the adults in this Country NEED to see the horrific pictures of the dogs of war. Maybe then it will really sink in.

[ShandaLear]

Tamsey, I want to express my sympathy for your family's loss. I'm sorry for what you are all going through and very greatful that your relative was willing to go to his death so my family can live in freedom.

[Bennett46]

My husband and I signed, too.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

[SheLion]

I think the Democrats on the Senate Armed Services committee should be forced to resign. It was they who precipitated this heinous murder

All of them are Iraq sympathizers, IMHO.

[Tamzee]

Thank you for your kind sympathy... his parents and brother are suffering so badly, they need prayers on their behalf :-(

[SheLion]

He's lost his son to this unnecessary war.

Unnecessary?  Oh my.  And how many of the people in Free Republic lost loved ones in the towers?  We did not start this!

[Petronski]

Any confusion between churchillbuff and his namesake is purely and ironically coincidental.

[Nowhere Man]

Yes, yes, yes. All Bush's fault. Blame Bush. Lindberg baby kidnapped, blame Bush; Pearl Harbor attacked, blame Bush; South fires on Fort Sumner, blame Bush; Custer loses entire command to band of Indians, blame Bush; Yes, Bush is the reason for all the world's evil and bad things happening. Bush probably called bin Laden and gave him airline directions to hit the WTC; probably gave Saddam the hiddie hole address where to hide; Bush is the source of it all. Easy to blame Bush. Gas shortages in USA thanks to low oil reserves and even lower gas reserves because of envirowacckos regulations, but let's blame Bush; Some poor farmer was strangled to death in a field here in WA state the other day, probably was Bush if you get an interview with local law enforcement; Ron Sims, the fine King County head honcho is putting a homeless camp in the middle of a suburban neighborhood without telling the residents of that neighborhood. Bet you could call Sims and he'd tell you Bush put him up to it. Yes, all things wrong, just blame George W. Bush. The planet's whipping boy right now. Yup, GWB is the reason for all the wrong in the world. Just ask any stinking, un-American, freedom hating, gun-hating, taxing, simeball liberal/leftist.

You forgot to blame President Bush for all flat tires, cancer cases, and rainy days. (sarcasm off) B-P

You know what, there is no reasoning with the blame Bush crowd, so there is a time to ignore them and "Let's Roll!"

[RetiredArmy]

Roger that.

[Eva]

I'm sorry, but I don't believe that this guy was a Bush supporter.

[Petronski]

I'm sketchy about that myself. The only word we have on that is from his CANSWERous father, so who knows WHAT is true.

[Stentor]

who knows WHAT is true.

I am sure that the media will investigate why Nick Berg was in Iraq.(;>) Is there any evidence that he had a legitimate purpose over there? The story out now could be a cover. Too coincidental that his old man is a canswer man.

[El Gato]

Man, these terrorists are gonna have a ball slitting the throats and cutting off the heads of liberal scum

No they won't, because the rest of us will kill the terrorists and all their supporters, long before they get a chance to do us that sort of favor.

[daybreakcoming]

They are also speculating that Berg was a CIA operative among other tin-foil hat theories that abound in DU land.

[daybreakcoming]

How sad that he has his son's blood on his hands