Posted on 05/14/2004 7:12:53 AM PDT by kattracks
Nick Berg had a bit of a strange run the last few years - starting with the "coincidental" usage of his e-mail account by the alleged 20th 9-11 hijacker - ending with his beheading at the hands of terrorists in Iraq.He is described by various news agencies as a techno-genius, a dreamer, a wanderer, a funnyman and the ultimate Curious George.
Today, Philly.com revealed another item about Berg: "Berg's stubborn wanderlust made him a target of suspicion - a religious Jew riding around Mosul in a taxi with a copy of the Koran. ... Some U.S. soldiers even wondered if the patriotic Berg was 'a wannabe freedom fighter.'"
So what was he doing in Iraq? A friend told Fox News he thought Berg was "sailing in Turkey." (Sure ... if we were to go sailing, that's the place we'd choose as well.)
When Berg was arrested in Mosul, he had two items with him that made authorities nervous: A copy of the Koran, and another book reportedly entitled either "The Jewish Problem" or "The Jewish Solution." Why a Jew would be carrying these items is unclear, but Berg supporters say it was like him to be curious about such things.
Berg also refused to leave Iraq when asked to do so by the State Department.
He not only apparently felt the need to help rebuild Iraq, but he also wanted to go into business doing so. He told jailors that he was losing thousands of dollars while being detained.
He had worked in Africa (Uganda), and had some kind of a relative living in Mosul, so that's where he went in Iraq. He was only arrested because he was an unaccompanied American in a place where that was out of place.
A military source in Iraq told the Philadelphia Daily News, "He was jailed because unescorted Americans aren't usually seen downtown and 'they didn't know what to do with him.'
"Police were suspicious because of 'his demeanor'" and the two books he had.
Berg was, according to the paper, "under Iraqi control... the FBI also questioned Berg three times and visited his parents back in West Chester."
Authorities tried to tell Berg to go home, and offered to pay for everything, but he told them, "You don't understand these people like I do. You're here for a reason - and so am I."
On April 6th, Berg was released from jail, and three days later he disappeared.
According to the guy on the link, that would be hard to do without having a crew, knowing the language, and a lot of "walking around money."
What!?...How can that be?...He had no employees...I can absolutely guarantee you that he is not going to get paid that kind of money to climb towers and switch out light bulbs and turn buckles.
fyi
I'm not trying to flame you, just wanted clarification on what you think the story is.
One conspiracy theory is that WE offed him (prison orange, pale looking skin, white tennis shoes) to take the heat off vis a vis the prison photos scandal.
Another conspiracy theory is that there is more to this "Pro-Bush, Pro-War Independent Businessman with an ANSWER activist father who just happened to sit next to a terrorist on a bus a few years back" was an Al-Quaeda sympathizer who was double crossed and murdered by them.
Of course, he could have just been a naive kid in the wrong place at the wrong time.
One of the above makes a whole lot more sense to me than the others!
I have a copy of the Koran. It's right next to my Tanakh, New Testement, and two volumes of Talmud (don't have a complete set of Talmud). Nothing unusual in that other than an interest in religion.
Linda, are you saying he was missing his genitals?
I am glad you could provide me with the descriptive analysis. I could not bring myself to watch the murder of an innocent person. I listened to the audio of it on Sean Hannity's radio show, and it sent me into a rage. I am a veteran of 22 years Marine Corps service and I have seen enough gore to last me 50 lifetimes.
So.. is it your theory that he was dead already when they decapitated him? I think there would be massive arterial bleeding of a live person.
Your not thinking like a terrorist, your thinking like soft white westerner...
The militant islamists would do somthing like this to up the ante; to show their followers, and those that cower in their shadow, that they are more brutal, more evil than the Americans could ever be.
The "con" value is a bonus to them.
Live feed at Dallas' KLIF 570 AM:
http://www.klif.com/
No telling what he might have become.
I guess there is a fine line between courage and stupidity.
"If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, maybe you just don't understand the situation."
Another unintentional pun is in there. Sorry.
Not so.
Free at KLIF.com
I'm listening to him now, talking to caller who knew Nick Berg personally.
Exactly like that @sshole Mauser whose son was murdered at Columbine.
Oh, OK...:-)
"I read his paternal uncle was married to an Islam and he was fascinated by her or something
You have it turned around. It was his Aunt. His father's sister, who was married to an Iraqi. She is now deceased.
Nick Berg went to Mosul to visit the Iraqi Uncle and while there met the brother of the Uncle and was helping him set up an Internet site.
There's a novel thought, but one that wouldn't surprise me. That guy would literally do ANYthing to defeat George Bush. What happened, did Dubya's daddy spank Soros at crew or lacrosse or some such?
BTW, can I use your tagline?
Only problem wtih the story about Lawyer Mayfield in Oregon or wherever is that he hasn't left the country in the last year or two, and latest reports are that, no, those were not his fingerprints on the bag of detonators in Madrid.
That would be old man Berg...
"You don't understand these people like I do......."
Apparently not as well as you thought you did.
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