Beheaded American's Father Blames
Military
Bloomberg.com
Heather Langan, Lou Giserman
May 12, 2004 06:38 EDT
May 12 (Bloomberg) -- The father of Nick Berg, the American
civilian beheaded in Iraq, has criticized the U.S. military for
detaining his son and preventing him from leaving the country as
planned at the end of March, before a recent escalation of
violence that included the kidnapping of foreigners.
Nick Berg, 26, was in Iraq to find work on communications
towers, his parents told reporters yesterday at their home in
West Chester, Pennsylvania, as they recounted their contacts with
him. Unable to get a job in Iraq, he planned to come home at the
end of March, they said. A week before he was to leave, his calls
to them stopped.
Days later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation told the Bergs
their son was arrested by Iraqi police and turned over to U.S.
custody. His parents sued the U.S. Defense Department to force
his release, and he was freed after 13 days, on April 6. He told
his parents he would be leaving Iraq immediately. They last heard
from him on April 9. U.S. authorities notified the Bergs of his
death after his body was found Saturday in Baghdad.
Michael Berg told reporters the U.S. government held his son
illegally, creating a delay that kept him in Iraq amid increasing
violence. Berg's death was depicted on a video tape in which his
killers said they were taking revenge for the abuse of Iraqi
detainees by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.
``I think that they caused his death indirectly by detaining
him without any rights,'' Michael Berg told reporters. ``Even
after detaining him I think they at least had an obligation to
get him safely out of the country.''
Advised to Leave
Berg was in Iraq on his own, not in the employ of the U.S.
government or a contractor, and had refused to heed advice to
leave Iraq, a U.S. official told the Associated Press, speaking
on condition of anonymity. The official refused to elaborate and
said more information on the case would be available later
Wednesday.
Video of the killing by five men wearing headscarves was
posted on an Islamic Web site. It said Berg was killed by an al-
Qaeda-affiliated group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to avenge the
abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison.
The video bore the title ``Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown
slaughtering an American.'' The U.S. says Jordanian Zarqawi is
leading al-Qaeda operations in Iraq. He is wanted in connection
with the murder of a U.S. aid official in Jordan.
Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell late yesterday issued
a statement on the PRNewswire condemning Berg's death.
``This incident demonstrates the need for us to carry out our
justice system as quickly and fairly as we can so that the
appropriate discipline can be meted out to the offenders and
those responsible for what Americans did to Iraqi men and women
at Abu Ghraib,'' Rendell said. ``The sooner we find out who was
responsible and give them their day in court, we can mete out
significant discipline.''
Berg's body will be flown from Kuwait to the U.S. for burial
today, Cable News Network reported.
To contact the reporters on this story:
Heather Langan in London at hlangan@bloomberg.net.
Lou Giserman in New York at lgiserman@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Peter Torday at ptorday@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: May 12, 2004 06:38 EDT
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