11 May 2004

by Anai Rhoads

E-mail this article

AnaiRhoads.org - A startling new video surfaced on the Islamic-based Muntada al-Ansar Islamis website Tuesday. The video entitled, "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown slaughtering an American" showed the missing American, Nick Berg.

The 26 year-old American was reported missing in Iraq on 09 April. The Philadelphia native from West Chester was taken and killed just over a month after his capture.

Berg, wearing an orange prisoner uniform in the video, can be heard saying, "My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Suzanne, I have a brother and sister, David and Sarah. I live in Philadelphia."

Soon after his statement to the camera, the five masked men (shown in photo above) decapitated Berg. One of the captors cried out "Allahu akbar! (God is great!)" as he held the severed head up to the camera.

They then released the following statement to all Americans:

"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the U.S. administration to exchange this hostage with some of the detainees in Abu Ghraib and they refused."

"So we tell you that the dignity of the Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls. You will not receive anything from us but coffin after coffin, slaughtered in this way. As for you Bush, dog of the Christians, anticipate what will harm you. You and your soldiers will regret the day you stepped foot in Iraq and dared to violate Muslims."

Presidential hopeful John Kerry responded to the news of Berg's death saying, "Like all Americans, I'm horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless murder of Nicholas Berg. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and with the families of all our troops and civilians working under such dangerous conditions to rebuild and bring peace to Iraq. We are grateful for the work you do and the risks you take. The terrorists who committed this atrocity will not prevail, and America stands together against them."

Iraqi militants also videotaped the killing of Italian hostage Fabrizio Quattrocchi, now infamously known for ripping his hood off and shouting "Now I'll show you how an Italian dies!", in April. The Arab-based TV network, Al-Jazeera, refused to air the video because it was considered too brutal to televise.

Berg had contacted his family on 24 March and said he would return home by 30 March. He was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24, whereby he was turned over to U.S. custody and kept for 13 days.

Berg's family filed a suit in federal court on 05 April in Philadelphia, citing that their son was being detained by U.S. forces illegally. Berg was not permitted to seek a lawyer or have a military lawyer present. He was released from U.S. custody on 06 April.

It is yet unclear exactly where Berg was abducted. Berg's body was discovered on Saturday not far from a highway overpass in Baghdad, just hours after being beheaded.

©2004 AnaiRhoads.org Reproduction must be authorised in writing only, and altering the material and this copyright is prohibited and protected by international law.