Nick Berg 648529 225387040 2008-07-13T12:12:19Z Gidonb 31749 /* Conspiracy theories */ '''Nicholas Berg''' ([[April 2]], [[1978]] &ndash; [[May 7]], [[2004]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[businessman]] seeking [[telecommunication]]s work in [[Iraq]] after the [[Post-invasion Iraq|US invasion of Iraq]]. He was abducted and later [[Decapitation|beheaded]] according to a video released in [[May 2004]] by [[militant Islam|Islamic militants]]. The [[CIA]] claimed that [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] personally beheaded Berg.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3712421.stm BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | 'Zarqawi' beheaded US man in Iraq<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The [[decapitation]], the first of a series of such killings of foreign hostages in [[Iraq]], received worldwide attention because it was videotaped, and the footage was subsequently released on the [[Internet]], reportedly from [[London]] to a [[Malaysia]]n hosted homepage by the Islamic organization [[Al-ansars|al-Ansars]]<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/28/1085641717320.html SMH.com.au]</ref>. His killers claimed that his death was carried out to avenge [[Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse|abuses of Iraqi prisoners]] by U.S. soldiers at [[Abu Ghraib prison]]. ==Early life== Berg was a native of [[West Chester, Pennsylvania]], a [[suburb]] of [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], where he owned his own company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. He inspected and rebuilt [[Antenna (radio)|communication antennas]], and had previously visited [[Kenya]] and [[Uganda]] on similar projects. Berg attended West Chester [[Henderson High School (Pennsylvania)|Henderson High School]], where he received a diploma in 1996. Berg attended four universities: [[Cornell University|Cornell]], [[Drexel University|Drexel]], the [[University of Pennsylvania]], and the [[University of Oklahoma]]. While at the University of Oklahoma, according to Nickberg.org, Berg developed a "paper brick" that was to be the precursor to his "Bovl Block" pressed construction blocks. He once traveled to [[Kitende, Uganda]] to help a village, by among other things teaching villagers how to make Bovl Blocks, a modular concrete block Berg invented for use in tower construction where steel is not readily available or is cost-prohibitive. In addition, Berg set up a subsidiary of his company, Prometheus Tower Services, Inc., in [[Kenya]].<ref>http://www.macon.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/chester_county/8683572.htm</ref> == Travels and detention == Berg first arrived in Iraq on [[December 21]], [[2003]], and made arrangements to secure contract work for his company. He also went to the northern city of [[Mosul]], visiting an Iraqi man whose brother had been married to Berg's late aunt. Leaving on [[February 1]], he returned to Iraq on [[March 14]], [[2004]], only to find that the work he was promised was unavailable. Throughout his time in Iraq, he maintained frequent contact with his family in the United States by [[telephone]] and [[e-mail]]. Berg had intended to return to the United States on [[March 30]], [[2004]], but he was detained in Mosul on March 24 by Iraqi [[police]] at a checkpoint. His family claims he was turned over to U.S. officials and held for 13 days without access to legal counsel. [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agents visited his parents to confirm his identity on March 31, but he was not immediately released. After his parents filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia on April 5, claiming that he was being held illegally, he was released from custody. He said that he had not been mistreated during his confinement. The U.S. maintains that at no time was Berg in coalition custody, but rather that he was held by Iraqi forces. The Mosul police deny they ever arrested Berg, and Berg's family has turned over an email from the U.S. consul stating "I have confirmed that your son, Nick, is being detained by the U.S. military in Mosul."<ref name="wkrn">[http://web.archive.org/web/20050206182722/http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=1865745 E-mail from consul confirms Berg was in U.S. military hands], ''[[WKRN]]''</ref> According to the [[Associated Press]], Berg was released from custody on April 6 and advised by U.S. officials to take a flight out of Iraq, with their assistance. Berg is said to have refused this offer and traveled to [[Baghdad]], where he stayed at the [[Al Fanar Hotel]]. His family last heard from him on April 9. Berg had his last contact with U.S. officials on April 10 and did not return again to his hotel after that date. Berg was interviewed for [[filmmaker]] [[Michael Moore]]'s film ''[[Fahrenheit 9/11]]''.<ref name="salon">[http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2004/05/27/fahrenheit_911/ Moore interviewed Berg for "Fahrenheit"], ''[[Salon.com|Salon (magazine)]]'', [[May 27]] [[2004]]</ref> Moore chose not to use the footage of his interview with Berg, but instead shared it with Berg's family following his death. == Disappearance == Berg's family became concerned after not hearing from him for several days. Although a [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]] investigator looked into Berg's disappearance, official government inquiries produced no leads. Berg's family, frustrated with what they say was a lack of action by the U.S. government, also hired a [[private investigator]] and contacted both their [[United States Congress|Congressional]] delegation and the [[Red Cross]] in search of information. == Death == [[Image:NickBerg.jpg|250px|thumb|Berg, in orange, in a still from the video of his decapitation.]] Berg's body was found decapitated on [[May 8]], [[2004]] on a Baghdad overpass by a U.S. military patrol. Berg's family was informed of his death two days later. Military sources stated publicly at that time that Berg's body showed "signs of [[Physical trauma|trauma]]", but did not disclose that he had been decapitated. On [[May 11]], [[2004]], the website of the militant group [[Muntada al-Ansar]]<ref name="alAnsar">[http://www.al-ansar.biz/ http://www.al-ansar.biz] - website where decapitation video was first posted, now offline. See [http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.al-ansar.biz/ Internet Archive versions]</ref> posted a [[video]] with the opening title of "Abu Musa'b al-Zarqawi slaughters an American", which shows Berg being decapitated. Al-Zarqawi had an association with the [[terrorist]] group [[Al-Qaida]], as does Muntada al-Ansar. The video is about five and a half minutes long. Berg is seen in the video wearing an orange jumpsuit. He identified himself: "My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Susan. I have a brother and sister, David and Sarah. I live in West Chester, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia." The video shows Berg surrounded by five men wearing ski masks and head scarves. A lengthy statement is read aloud. The statement says that Berg's killing was in direct retaliation for the abuse of prisoners by U.S. troops at Abu Ghraib prison. The masked men then converge on Berg and decapitate him with a [[knife]]. A scream can be heard as men shout the [[Takbir]]: "Allah Akbar". On May 13, news outlets quoted a [[CIA]] source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, that a voice analysis of the tape has led the agency to conclude that the masked man who reads the statement and carries out the killing is "with high probability" [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]]. During the video, the man reading the statement threatens further deaths: "We tell you that the dignity of the [[Muslim]] men and women in Abu Ghraib and others is not redeemed except by [[blood]] and [[soul]]s. You will not receive anything from us but [[coffin]]s after coffins ... slaughtered in this way." The video further threatens [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] and [[Pakistan]]i [[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Pervez Musharraf]]. The video bears some similarities to the videotape showing the killing and decapitation of ''[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]'' reporter [[Daniel Pearl]] in Pakistan in 2002. Like Pearl, Berg was [[Jew]]ish, although it is uncertain whether his captors were aware of that. There are many differences from other decapitation videos, including the decapitation video of [[Paul Johnson (hostage)|Paul Johnson]] in [[Saudi Arabia]] and the video of [[Kim Sun-il]] in Iraq. Berg's father, [[Michael Berg]] blames President Bush for his son's death. After attending a forgiveness class at Immaculata University, Michael Berg developed forgiveness toward al-Zarqawi and those directly involved in the beheading.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/08/berg.interview/index.html Beheaded man's father: Revenge breeds revenge]</ref> ==Encounter with Zacarias Moussaoui== On May 14, it was revealed that Nick Berg had been investigated during the U.S. government's investigation of [[Zacarias Moussaoui]]. Berg's email address had been used by Moussaoui prior to the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]]. According to Berg's father, Nick Berg had a chance encounter with an acquaintance of Moussaoui on a bus in [[Norman, Oklahoma]]. This person had asked to borrow Berg's [[laptop computer]] to send an email. Berg gave the details of his own email account and password, which were later used by Moussaoui. The [[FBI]] found that Berg had no direct terrorism connections or direct link with Moussaoui.<ref name="cnn">[http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/05/13/berg.encounter/ Berg's encounter with 'terrorist' revealed], ''[[CNN]]'', [[May 14]] [[2004]]</ref> ==Arrests and confessions== On May 14, citing "Iraq Sources", ''[[Sky News]]'' reported that four people had been arrested for the murder. Two were later released after questioning. On August 5, ''[[Le Nouvel Observateur]]'' published a feature story by Sara Daniel<ref>[http://mapage.noos.fr/sdaniel/ Reportages : Sara-Daniel.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> detailing her meeting with one Abu Rashid, a leader of the mujahadeen council in [[Fallujah]]. He claims that he killed Nick Berg, [[Kim Sun-il]] and [[Iraqi people|Iraqis]] who collaborated with the American forces. He also states that they attempted a prisoner exchange with Berg and were rebuffed by the U.S. government. ==Conspiracy theories== There is controversy over the identity of the alleged killers and the circumstances surrounding the killing. [[Al Jazeera]], in an article entitled "Bloggers doubt Berg execution video"<ref>http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4FFA61A3-9C33-4597-A8D9-8079E91F2784.htm</ref>, and other websites and mainstream news media outside the [[United States]] including the ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]'' and ''[[Asia Times]]'', point out what they say are inconsistencies in the video, including: * According to Saleh al-Hami, Zarqawi's brother-in-law, "The killer on the video cuts with his right hand... Mr Rababa and Mr Abu Doma, who shared the same room with [Zarqawi] for several years, insisted that he used his right hand only for eating and shaking hands."<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/13/international/middleeast/13zarq.html?ex=1247371200&en=fef1b3dec1a80375&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland</ref> * A [[Russia|Russian]] voice allegedly says "do it quickly."<ref>http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/28/1085641717320.html</ref> ==See also== * [[Eugene Armstrong]] * [[Jack Hensley]] * [[Kenneth Bigley]] * [[Shosei Koda]] * [[Margaret Hassan]] * [[Seif Adnan Kanaan]] ==References== <div class="references-small"><references /></div> <!-- Dead note "MiddleEastInfo": [http://middleeastinfo.org/article4561.html Tracing a Civilian's Path to Gruesome Fate in Iraq], ''[[Middle East Info]]'', [[May 26]] [[2004]] --> <!-- Dead note "OUDaily": [http://www.oudaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/05/19/40aaaeb82e3f9 Professors remember Nick Berg: His OU instructors recall him as a unique and intelligent person], ''[[OUDaily]]'', [[May 19]] [[2004]] --> <!-- Dead note "IslamOnline1": [http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-05/12/article08.shtml Muslim Scholars Denounce Berg's Beheading], ''[[Islam Online]]'', [[May 12]] [[2004]] --> <!-- Dead note "Reuters": [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-06-08T204126Z_01_L08116964_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-1.xml&src=060806_1642_TOPSTORY_after_zarqawi], ''[[Reuters]], [[June 7]] [[2006]] --> <!-- Dead note "IslamOnline2": [http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-05/12/article03.shtml Iraqis Condemn Beheading Of American Civilian], [[May 12]] [[2004]] --> <!-- Dead note "Msnbc": [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4961118 Arab media muted in coverage of beheading: Many papers play down story, others ignore it], ''[[MSNBC]]'', [[May 12]] [[2004]] --> <!-- Dead note "TimesHerald": [http://www.timesherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11649649&BRD=1672&PAG=461&dept_id=33380&rfi=6 Berg's father speaks out], ''[[Times Herald]]'', [[May 13]] [[2004]] --> </div> ==External links== *[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/28/1085641717320.html] *[http://www.topplerummy.org/berg/] *[http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/5/15/22827/0477] * [http://www.counterpunch.org/berg06102006.html A Father's Day Message, Both Parties Have Betrayed America] By Michael Berg, [[CounterPunch]]. * [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/08/24/2113228 Father of Beheaded Iraq Hostage Blames Bush Administration For Son's Death] - Interview by ''[[Democracy Now!]]'' on August 24, 2004. * [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,119854,00.html Al-Zarqawi Murdered Berg, CIA Concludes] [[FOX News]] story. Includes edited version of video without beheading. * [http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/decapitation_video.htm Full-length video of Nick Berg's decapitation.] * [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/28/1085641717320.html Who killed Nick Berg?] - The Sydney Morning Herald (May 29, 2004) * [http://baltimorechronicle.com/060804Hughes.shtml What happened to Nick Berg?] - The Baltimore Chronicle (June 7, 2004) * [http://web.archive.org/web/20040602195828/http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4083599,00.html Questions Surround Slain American in Iraq] - The Guardian Unlimited (May 12, 2004) * [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FE22Ak03.html Berg beheading: No way, say medical experts] The Asia Times (May 22, 2004) * [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/05/13/berg.encounter/ Berg's encounter with 'terrorist' revealed] - CNN (May 13, 2004) * [http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/193331p-166984c.html Berg, Al Qaeda linked before] - The New York Daily News (May 14, 2004) * [http://web.archive.org/web/20040518014242/http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/8684646.htm Berg Met With Shady Iraqi] The Philadelphia Daily News (May 17, 2004) * [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_29 Berg Had Been Advised to Leave Iraq] - [[Associated Press]] news story {{DEFAULTSORT:Berg, Nick}} [[Category:1978 births]] [[Category:2004 deaths]] [[Category:Foreign hostages in Iraq]] [[Category:Deaths by decapitation]] [[Category:Filmed executions]] [[Category:Cornell University alumni]] [[Category:American businesspeople]] [[Category:American Jews]] [[Category:American people taken hostage]] [[Category:American terrorism victims]] [[Category:Terrorism deaths in Iraq]] [[Category:American people murdered abroad]] [[ar:نك بيرغ]] [[bs:Nicholas Berg]] [[de:Nicholas Berg]] [[fr:Nicholas Berg]] [[gl:Nicholas Berg]] [[ms:Nicholas Berg]] [[nl:Nicholas Berg]] [[fi:Nick Berg]] [[sv:Nick Berg]] [[zh:尼克·贝尔格]]