A Single Southern Guy In America

« Back for the moment | Main | Here Kitty, Kitty » May 11, 2004 Induced Illness I will not belabor the point. As I already left in the comments, "Words are utterly inadequate." By now, most of you know of the terrible fate of Nick Berg at the hands of his Al Qaeda captors. I cannot explain what compelled me to watch it, but I did. What I felt upon learning it earlier was a blend between sickness and intense anger. Now, I am sick. The anger will probably return, but for now I am very, very sick. I warn you in the strongest way I possibly can; this video, these images may just be the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. I advise you not to watch it. However, if you have to see for yourself the epitome of evil we are fighting in the war on terror, Kevin has made the video available. May God be with Nick Berg and his family. Posted by Adam H at May 11, 2004 05:02 PM ~ Link Cosmos | Trackbacks (2) Drink this... linked with Outrage over the beheading of this... Backcountry Conservative linked with Nick Berg Beheading Video Comments Your a braver soul than I, Adam...I just can't bring myself to watch that. Posted by: willow at May 11, 2004 05:48 PM there aren't enough words Posted by: UptownGirl at May 11, 2004 08:19 PM I have been against this war from the beginning. The United States is fighting a religious war for Israel. Why didn't Israel become our allie in this war? Are they too afraid? So, why should our Americans die in this horrific battle, that frankly, I don't see coming to any resolve anytime soon. The hostility this war has brought among opposing sides from all races and all generations is becoming the death of our humanity. War is hatred. I am a young American, who saw this video of Nick Berg and I cried loudly and heavily. I was extremely moved, and the pit of my stomach gravitated to the deepest sickness of anger and sadness all at once. How many more Americans-civilians, soldiers etc. have to die in this atrocity? Posted by: Vanessa at May 12, 2004 11:59 PM The horrible death of Nick Berg is a glimpse into the threat we face. None of us like war, or would ever willingly seek out the course we're on. This isn't about "the war", this is about our very existance. Thank God for a leader who understands the colossal challenge we face, and how high the stakes are. 9/11 was low in technical sophistication...imagine the same planning taken to the next level with nuclear suitcases. Many of us are part of a generation that has known the greatest prosperity and peace in the history of the world, and we HAVE to see how quickly our situation could change. Think beyond the world we've grown so comfortable with, and realize there will be a price to pay just to keep our freedom. Posted by: Greg at May 13, 2004 12:33 AM The horrible death of Nick Berg is a glimpse into the threat we face. None of us like war, or would ever willingly seek out the course we're on. This isn't about "the war", this is about our very existance. Thank God for a leader who understands the colossal challenge we face, and how high the stakes are. 9/11 was low in technical sophistication...imagine the same planning taken to the next level with nuclear suitcases. Many of us are part of a generation that has known the greatest prosperity and peace in the history of the world, and we HAVE to see how quickly our situation could change. Think beyond the world we've grown so comfortable with, and realize there will be a price to pay just to keep our freedom. Posted by: Greg at May 13, 2004 12:33 AM If the terrorist's goal was to make me hate muslims more, they succeeded. Posted by: Comtech at May 13, 2004 01:47 AM This brutal murder is a horrific tragedy, and the ensuing steps we take offer a challenge like no other we've faced before. I agree with comments above - thank the Lord for the man we have as President, one of integrity, prayer, humility yet boldness, rigor and fortitude, this man we have as a leader who stares in the face of this pure evil and will not relent in efforts to overcome evil with good. Any other view gives room to moral relativism to its fullest, and ugliest. There is no other answer for us than to vote our President to another four years to further this undertaking. I disagree in part with one comment above, about hating Muslims. Hate won't do a thing to win out in this war, we cannot allow hate to overshadow the good that can come from the efforts to abolish such evil, and hate is not the means to an end. However, I do agree that we come again to the realization that it wasn't Christian, Jew, Buddhist, or other religious zealouts who have started this war, but Muslim fundamentalists, and where is the outcry from the Muslim community as a whole? Exactly. Non-existent. Thank God we're not a pacifist nation...well, at least the majority is not. Though there is the effort to become even farther out of touch in wacked-out liberal moral relativism, we can be confident in the knowledge that most sane, intelligent, and moral people see all of this for what it is and will make the right decisions to back the efforts our leadership is taking to win the war on terror. Posted by: Pete in L.A. at May 13, 2004 02:11 AM Thank you my fellow men and women who have and are serving in our military. If we were not fighting a war in Iraq you can bet we would be fighting those same TERRORIST that killed Nick Berg HERE in our own Country. Have you forgotten 9/11!!! Wake up, the Islamic fundamentalist want to see everyone of you DEAD. This is what they do best, KILL, kill anyone who is not muslim. Posted by: lauren at May 13, 2004 02:17 AM WOW! Thank you Pete in L.A. for your post. I really do concur with what you say. War is not a pretty picture and and everything rosy. But sometimes there has to be a war to end wars. The reason I say this is the statement from the post from "Uptown Girl" (ed.: it was not 'Uptown Girl, but rather it was 'Vanessa'; email is: diness2479@hotmail.com.) states "The United States is fighting a religious war for Israel." Please Uptown Girl I urge you to be more informed and not just follow what other people say before you make such an idiotic statement. I also urge you to not get your information from CBS and others without getting facts from other sources and really taking the time to look at it from other prospectives. Im just sayin if we all thought like you, we might have just had another 9/11 attack on us again, yea, right here in the good ole USA. But this time around YOU may be the one that could have died at the hands of a TERRORIST. The big picture here is WE will not let them(Terrorist) defeat us. And our President is determined not either. Posted by: lauren at May 13, 2004 02:39 AM A question that has not been addressed is Why? Why are fanatical psychopaths commiting macarbe acts of violence seen during September 11 in Bali, Madrid and the recent beheading of Nick Berg. Why do people hate Americans and other people from the West? I pose the answer to this question NOT at the American people but at the actions of the United States foreign policy which is inheriantly to blame in instigating the threat of terrorism in the first place. The insight of history shows that the consequences of the United States supporting people like Saddam Hussien and Osama bin Laden during the Cold War has backfired. The adventure in Iraq is built on decit and stupidity With no WMD to be found Iraq is a mess and thus a breeding ground for terrorism that evolves as a self forefilling prophecy. Sure the US government should take an aggressive stance on terrorism, but through indirect strategies. Such as looking at the root causes of terrorism, instead of using the blunt arm of military force that will only incite even more hatred and violence. The lessons of the Vietnam war should not be taken for granted. If we have learned anything form the experience of war is that it brings out the worst in everbody. But having blind faith in you leaders, many Americans are paying the ultmate sacrife suffering the causulaites of a stupid foreign policy. Posted by: O. H. Lee at May 13, 2004 04:06 AM This video was sent out as a "retaliation" to what happend in the Prison camp. So they say... I am sorry but I and tired of all these people that are crying out loud about what happend in the prison. NO I'm not saying it was right. I think it was really just immature. All that did was humiliate those prisoners. NOT kill them or mame them. It was all Psychological. Thats it. Nothing more will come out of that in the manner of harm to those prisoners. The key thing inall of that is the fact that no one looks at who these guys are. Yes they are people, humans that need to be treated with some dignity. BUT these men on an instant would turn and stick a knife in the hearts of those people that are crying for them. They care nothing of human life. Thats why they are there. On BERG, My heart and prayers go out to anyone that knew him. He is a true HERO in the fact that he did put his life on the line to be kind to these people. And paid the ultimate for it. Now these cowards that did this. THEY need to pay. Yes with their own lives. Not in the way they think of doing it though. Guys I work with want to watch this video. I told them they MUST watch it from begining to end. I want them to watch and think about what these guys are about. And how they think. After I watched it I just sat and thought about the people around me. How they were just going about their jobs like nothing was wrong. THERE is alot wrong. I could go on but I can't put all of how i feel into words. GOD BLESS THOSE THAT ARE FIGHTING FOR WHATS RIGHT. Posted by: Joe at May 13, 2004 05:36 AM just a bit comment on vanessa: You asked why Israel wasn't an ally? It is simple because otherwise the arab allies would have stepped out. Let it be clear, if Israel was actively involved, saddam's dictatorship would have been wiped out a long time ago, everytime Israel wanted to send a hit-team to Irak, they where whisteld back by the U.S. Posted by: Sherman at May 13, 2004 06:52 AM The brutal murdet of youn american man was very sad thing, but it didn't suprise me much after happenings in iraqi prison. I'm from Europe. I must say, that they really hate you guys, americans, now and forever. The goverment of U.S has really pissed them off. The situation in Iraq is one big mess..Mr. Bush won't back off, that's sure. What are the methods to solve these thing, or is it even possible wonder I ... ??? Posted by: Tommy at May 13, 2004 06:57 AM Questions? Where was all the blood? Has anyone any common sense? There is a main artery in the neck. Won't it have been more messy then what was shown? How did they get through his backbone with a knife? I am no doctor but I don't think you can cut bone with a knife. At least as fast as they did it. Why did the camera start moving around when they pushed him to the floor? Why was he not kicking and screaming? Won't you have fought as much as possible to get away if it was you? This video just doesn't add up. Think about it. Posted by: Bob at May 13, 2004 09:04 AM Why do the muslims of europe (where they can speak in total freedom, enrich them, and build their fuckin mosques) never blame these assassins? They always say "..., but you know, they are resistance fighters, they fight for allah, allah ackbar, if america and occident didnt do anything, he died because he was in the worng place in the wrong time,.... and blah, blah, blah" Posted by: davide at May 13, 2004 09:14 AM I've just watched the beheading of Nick Berg and I have to say I am extremely angry. This is barbarianism. You can't spin this though some people try to. Some people blame the President, some people blame Israel, others say we should have never gone to Iraq, and some people even say Nick should have not been there in the first place. But it doesn't change the fact that this was brutal murder done by Barbarians who claim to be Muslim. If the prophet Mohammed was alive he would be appalled at what is being done is the name of Islam. The murderers of Nick Berg are extremists, hypocrites, and the ultimate example of ignorance. They think that what they are doing is right and they changed Allah's name. What a bunch of morons. Their God would not condone this one bit. It's murder. Plain and simple. The cold hard reality of today's world is that there are many of those who hate us, so deeply, that they are willing to kill for it and to die for it. These people see us as the devil himself. To clarify, these are the extremists and those who are too afraid to stand up to them. I do not hate muslims because not all of them think this way. I only despise the ones that commit murder and harm in the name of Islam. And the ones that say "well, 9/11 was a horrible thing, but I'm glad it happened" are totally ignorant. All extremists like Al-Queda need to hunted down and brought to justice. And everyone and anyone who helps them should be treated just like them. There is a price for the freedom we have today and this is just going to be the beginning. Nick Berg isn't the first, nor will he be the last. My prayers go to Nick Berg and his family. I cannot even begin to imagine what must have gone through his mind when they began cutting him. Those barbarians didn't even give him a quick death. I am SO ANGRY that I hope we find those bastards and do the same to them! Posted by: Paul at May 13, 2004 09:17 AM To answer Tommy's questions. I'm an internist and if you watch the video closely there is a lot of blood, especially on the floor. In the movies you see blood squirting out like crazy, but in reality it just doesn't work that way. I've seen enough wounds to the neck to know. It also appeared to me that Nick Berg, God rest his soul, was in total shock when they began cutting into him. None of us can also judge what state of mind he must have been in when they did this. It is easy to write that he might have put up more resistance, but we just don't know. No one knows how they would react. He could have been so scared and in shock that he couldn't move. And yes, you can cut through the spinal chord if the knife is sharp enough. It wouldn't take that much pressure, frankly. Finally, we don't know if he was drugged. The video was of too poor a quality to be able to make an accurate judgment. Posted by: Joe at May 13, 2004 09:30 AM The US is being to nice with this guys and with this being an election year things that need to be done...wont. The US needs to take the gloves off and stop all the political correctness BS. What happened in the Iraqi prison is crap compared to BERG/Daniel Pearl incidents, but people will say these incidents wouldn’t have happened if the US never invaded Iraqi. How easily everyone forgets 9/11 Posted by: JD at May 13, 2004 09:39 AM Tell me now that there is no link between Al Queda and Iraq!!!! All the Muslim extremists are the same insane, religion crazy, murderous freaks who have no real understanding of God and his love. Posted by: Ryan at May 13, 2004 09:45 AM Guys, Have you really feel angry for this guy? May God rest his soul. Certainly, It is something to be ashamed of. And I don't think it is ever an attitude of a right real muslim. But if we thought about it REALISTICALLY, what is the reason for this? It is Bush's barbarism, the reason for all what is going on. I wonder, why haven't you really felt that anger when we saw the pictures of the prisoners in the Iraqi prison? Haven't the US soldiers proved that they are just sex hungry, and they are sadistic persons? Where were their manners? Where were their humanity? Where had their minds gone in what happened? Hadn't they thought that they are dealing with humans created by God exactly like them? When we did any harm for any NORMAL person, don't you think he feels he want to revenge? Of course, this was a bloody revenge, which is real bad, God be with his family, but if you thought about thier intention, they are poor too. When shall all the wars stop? When shall all these revenges going back and forth stop? Posted by: Eman at May 13, 2004 09:57 AM I'm not sure what the "real" reason is for being in Iraq. I used to think Jr. was avenging Dad, but who knows or ever will. I was raised by a Naval career man and learned loyalty to flag, home and leadership and will always support our President whether I agree with him/her or not. The Middle East problems go back centuries upon centuries. Their bias is so ingrained it actually has become their culture. America is so sure that everyone, everywhere in the world would be "happier" and so much better off if they were a democracy like us. This, simply, is not true. We force ourselves on those we view as being barbaric and not living up to the standards of this modern world. These people do not want us there changing their lives for the "better". It is very reminiscent of the American/Indian Wars. When fighting a culture that believes death is the ultimate glory, annihilation is the only way to win, as proved by the American/Indian Wars. We should cut our loses and get out of there. Or make a parking lot of sand. I understand we must protect ourselves from harm. But bringing our form of government and life to unwilling and uncooperative people, at the price of our American lives, is not the answer. This is like the woman who marries an imperfect man with the idea she can change him. Doesn't work. Secure our boders and carry on with our business of living happily and safely in the United States of America! Posted by: DJ at May 13, 2004 10:04 AM Have a problem with the pictures of the prisoners take look and maybe this makes you feel better. http://www.military-secrets.com/pg/jsp/pictures.jsp Why iraq? http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=383842004 News outlets love you show. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,119675,00.html What news outlets hate to show. http://www.drudgereport.com/iiraq3.htm Nothing new. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-05-13-cover-abuses_x.htm Posted by: Jimmy at May 13, 2004 11:20 AM To the idiot from europe, I think his name is Sherman. Do you really think that we here in Amarica really give a rats ass that europeans hat amaricans? Ive been to your neck of the world alot, and the only thing that I come home thinking about you, is that most all europeans have the Nepolean complex. Small weak people from a small weak part of the world that always need someone else to come over and pull their heads out of there asses. Don't feed us your bullshit about europeans we really don't care. Posted by: Scott at May 13, 2004 11:29 AM Nuke em. Nuke the bastards. To hell with all the pantywaist pacificists comparing the prisoner "abuse" and this. Nuke the muslim bastards to hell where they belong. Posted by: Bruno at May 13, 2004 12:02 PM Personally, I say we need to vote our government permission to tap into the HUGE AMOUNTS of oil in Alaska! And then funnel our (I do mean OUR, as it is our taxes) money that we are sending to that pathetic piece of land called Iraq, and invest it in other energy solutions. For those tree huggers out there, I personally would prefer no pretty landscape over war, and with the technology that we possess today, you would not even see or know about the drilling. Pull out of every aspect of dealings with the middle east. Shut the borders to them, no trade, no communications, nothing. Just have 20 or 30 nukes aimed at them if they try anything, and do not give them anymore food. If they are going to hate us, let them hate us for that, as opposed to hating us for supposed culture changes. Let them solve their own problems that they themselves have created over centuries of ignorance and wrongful teachings. Let them all kill each other, and when they are gone, let Europe and Israel deal with it. Just my humble opinion. God Bless the Berg family. My heart aches for them. Robert Posted by: Robert at May 13, 2004 12:43 PM sherman people from europe are the biggest pussys of the world.you people cant fight your own battles because your to busy sucking each other off.after we nuke iraq lets start nuking pussys like you. Posted by: bubba at May 13, 2004 01:17 PM I just watched the video. I can only pray for the Berg family. I hope they can find some peace in prayer, too. Now, for my comments on the general tone of others. People are people. I know many Muslims who are appalled at this. However, many are indifferent because of their hatred for the US. And this isn't only Muslims. I live in Europe and many, many Europeans are sick of the American attitude of "we are the best in the world." They don't remember what the US did to save their continent and that is a shame, to say the least. I remind them to this at every opportunity. Here is what I believe about issues surrounding the current times: There are many Muslims who are appalled at this. How do I know? I work for a defense contractor who hires all types of people. I have many Muslims working for me and they were shocked. Yes, there is a greater extent of radicalism in Islam than there is in Christianity. However, taking into context their recent history, maybe a little more understanding is in order. Not justification, but understanding. I know we don't have anywhere near the problems, being from a "christianized" part of the world, but what happens when you go back 800 years in Christian history? Crusades and barbarism. Islam is just behind the times. Lets face it...they are still in the dark ages. Unfortunately, their dark ages happen to be taking place in an age of dangerous weapons like bombs...and media. I am a democrat and I hate much of the way Bush has handled the war on terror. I think the current administration could have been more diplomatic with all of this. Sure, the French and German governments were just looking out for themselves and trying to make it sound like they are a moral force in the world. Please, give me a break Europe... Bush emphasized the WMD too much. He shouldn't have. When he said after 9/11 that you are with us on terror or against us, he was right. Saddam openly gave money to the Palestinian families of suicide bombers. That's reason enough for me to take his ass out. I don't blame Bush and our intelligence services for their interpretations of WMD stockpiles. Saddam gave an order to authorize release the weapons. Either he was lying or just duped by his own scientists. However, how were we to interpret that information? The rest of the world's governments believed we would eventually find something. They just lied to their own people. Yeah, we have egg on our face but so does every other intelligence service. Anyone who thinks that a democrat in the white house couldn't fight this war is an idiot. Yeah, some democrats are ill prepared, but so are some republicans. If I were president, I would go after these bastards too. I just wouldn't be stupid enough to tick off the rest of the world in the process. I am getting sick and tired of conservatives who believe all democrats are weak on defense or don't have the resolve to fight. And I am sick of liberals who blindly say the war was wrong. When Bush said that he supported some of Sharon's plan regarding the settlements in the West Bank and no right of return for Palestinians, what the hell was he thinking? Yes, Israel is an ally and they do face some unreal situations that we probably won't ever completely understand...but something needs to be done to give the Palestinians freedom! If someone were to take away your freedom or if you were born in a settlement where someone else tells you if you can go to work, wouldn't you start to do lose part of your humanity? I don't blame Sharon for targeting Hamas leadership or anyone who is a terrorist, but more needs to be done to get to the root of the problem. On the prisons...those people should be put in jail themselves. I was in the military for 8 years, and I would have never done anything like that. The sergeants should have known better, at the very least. Ok...enough of my venting for now. Posted by: Peter at May 13, 2004 01:43 PM After about 2 days of seeking this video I have found it and I wish I never had. It had made me sick for anyone to lose thier life. I seen the video that they have shown on tv news, My curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to see more. I wish people would get it through their heads that we are not dealing wih a culture that is civilized like ours. From what I have heard about the middle east is that they will behead a guy in the middle of the day like it was the president coming to town and everyone wants to see. There is no changing their ways. How can you make a deal with these guys? Simply you can't. Do I feel sorry for Mr. Berg who lost his life? Tell you the truth I feel sorry for his parnets that this has to happen to them. Mr. Nic Berg well you shouldn't have been there. If Mr. Pearl lost his life to these guys. What makes you think that you are going to go over there and stay alive. These guys over there hate Americans. They hate our way of life. They hate that we give our ladies freedoms and not treat them like property. Why do you hear that Mr. Bin Laden tells his muslim buddies to kill an American. You know what, our goverment is letting these people come into our country to live. I'm getting my guns ready for the day when these guys start doing suicide bombing in our backyard. What are we going to say when it happens. They have already did it on 9-11. I think we should pull out our troops and bring them home where they belong. Have them protect our borders. The new rule should be if you are shown anytype of treason like Mr Moore has done. Then you should leave and go live with your buddies who hate America. I love America and the freedoms I help fight for. Yes I served in the U.S. Army and no I'm not a baby killer. I may disagree with the policies of our country, but they should know what they are doing for that we have elected them and if they don't we just get some blue collar worker in there. Yea I have said blue collar. I'm done ranting I feel like Dennis Miller. I wish I could crack a joke but the image is still in my mind. Peace to all Posted by: Eli at May 13, 2004 02:47 PM First, I would like to offer my condolences to the family of Nick Berg. I don’t know how to handle the mass of emotions I have absorbed… but I would not wish his punishment on my worst enemy. I watched the video today, and I wish I hadn’t. Sadly, had I known how sick it made me feel, I would have opted for ignorance… I should have known that reality is sometimes the hardest to hold on to. I do not boast of a high level of political knowledge, but I voted; and though my vote did not favor our current president, I support his actions. 9/11 was a day that none of us should forget, and when you think about that day, and moments when innocent civilians are murdered (defending us), think of those people as your husband, wife, brother, sister… or worse, your own child… who’s life is taken so unfairly… so untimely. I do not know what the best means of defense is… I wish people did not/do not have to die… but I look at some of these pictures, and it is so scary to see what we are up against. I am so grateful for the men and women who are out there every day risking their lives to keep me, my family, all of us safe… or at least as safe as we can be in a time where our lives and futures seem to dangle by a week thread. More so, I am grateful that this war, though we face repercussions on our soil, is mostly far away… but every day I go to work wondering if some type of biological chemical will be unleashed… wondering if my children will be safe; and I am so tired of being afraid. I know that we will never be safe; but I’d like to have some sense of security. Unfortunately, as much as I am petrified of war, I am more petrified of what our future might render without it... and what my children (our children) could face without it. So what is my point? Maybe I am just a mother who is venting her sadness; but my heart feels for Nick Berg… what he must have felt, how scared he must have been, what he left behind, and at what price. As for the abuse from US soldiers, I don’t know the entire story, just what I have read and pictures I have seen; but even that… I don’t know the right choice of words to describe these Americans… "immature", "egotistical"… it's a though they got off on seeing these prisoners naked and at their mercy. It's stupid... and what gratification it gave them, I don't know... but it wasn't worth what Nick Berg faced or sacrificed. I don’t know, maybe my opinion is out of line; but again… I am so sorry for Nick Berg’s fate and for the loss that his family has to endure… an image that will never leave a parent’s memory. Posted by: Mother of 3 at May 13, 2004 03:18 PM They didn't just kill him. They posed him, filmed him, decapitated him and uploaded the footage knowing we'd all see it within twenty-four hours. They sawed off Nick Berg's head and held it in front of a camera. It wasn't just an execution, it was a statement. A man's severed head was used as a prop. Somehow that made it worse for me when, acting against my own better judgment, I decided to watch the unedited video online. The tension as the five men stood behind Berg was difficult to bear, knowing how horribly the vignette would end. Seeing him thrown down and brutalized was even more difficult. The plaintive screams, the pool of blood, the sawing across his neck and the ongoing chanting in the background revulsed me in a way I cannot explain. The one thing that stays with me the most, however, was seeing his lifeless head held in front of the camera and then to see it placed, I believe, on his corpse as the camera continued to roll. There was something unspeakably grotesque and unfathomably sad about his head being used to make a political argument. Nick Berg's mutiliation and death continues to be used to make points, and that's what distresses me this morning. We are better than the murderous terrorists who executed the decapitation and I would never argue otherwise. But when it comes to holding that severed head in front of the camera, leaders and pundits are nearly as guilty as those who killed Nick Berg. Yesterday I feared Nick Berg's murder would be trotted out as a reason to back the war on terror. I feared it would be used by others as a reason to reject the war. I worried it would be used to downplay the sadistic actions of Lynndie England and the other guards at Abu Ghraib and to attack those who sought to uncover that scandal. I worried Berg's murder would be held up as an example of what happens when you abuse prisoners. I thought we'd see a prizeless contest develop among analysts, pundits and politicians to see who could offer the most sincere condolences combined with most strongly expressed anger at the perpetrators of the killing. I saw a group of incredibly evil men use a severed head in hopes of pushing their agenda. Now I see Americans doing the same thing. This morning I have read editorials and statements explaining that Nick Berg's legacy will be to strengthen our resolve for the war on terror--his demise reminds us of why we must fight. I have read others who tell me Nick Berg's death is symbolic of all the reasons the war on terror is doomed and how our currently policy merely encourages needless bloodshed. Articles claim Berg's killing shows us how little merit there is in attacks on U.S. treatment of prisoners. I've read more than one person explaining that the errors we made in Abu Ghraib killed Nick Berg and will kill others. Letters of condolence, jammed pack with rhetoric carefully designed to push agendas proliferates. It's not surprising. News events create opportunities to promote agendas. The sum of those events are the evidence from which arguments regarding policy are constructed. Exploitation of particular singular incidents as jumping off points for larger generalizations, although guaranteed to maximize exposure and attention, often find themselves shakily supported. It's surely hard to resist the urge to seize upon the "big story" when one wants to advance their position. I know everyone with an opinion wants to take Nick Berg's death and explain how it fits their worldview and how it makes the truth of their point clear. We are captivated by the cruelty, gore, and sadness. The audience is willing to hear how Nick Berg's murder proves one side right and another wrong. The opportunity to make political gain through his murder is there. Taking advantage of that opportunity, however, is just what I do not need. I do not think it what others need, either. I'm not interested in seeing Nick Berg's head held up as a reason to stop the war, escalate the war, or anything else. When I watched that video, I was overcome by a profound sadness and feeling of helplessness. We have a war in Iraq that's contentious. We have prisoner scandals, rebel fighting, dead contractors, executions, occupation strategies, rebuilding problems, progress, setbacks, and more. It is all part of a larger puzzle that includes the World Trade Center, the U.S.S. Cole, the Munich Olympics, Quadaffi, culture wars, religious history and so many other things that trying to ingest it all seems almost impossible. Nick Berg's bloody decapitation does not clarify or crystallize the issues easily. To claim it does is to be the worst kind of exploiter. The kind of exploiter who waves a lifeless head in front of a camcorder. If you are part of the print media, radio, television or the internet, I ask you not to use Nick Berg's death as "proof" for the correctness of your position. If you are a politician, aide, analyst or spokesperson, I ask you to forget we are in the middle of an election year and to remember that one is not required to reduce every event to a partisan talking point. Nick Berg is dead. I saw them kill him on the internet. That gruesome scene didn't clarify, it didn't vindicate a position. It showed a murder and made me think about things like freedom, evil and war in a very human way. Perhaps it's possible to know about what happened, to see what happened, to let it have its profound personal impact and to move to looking for ways to create a world in which we will not have to see more heads dangled in front of cameras--literally or figuratively. C Brackney Opinionated Content http://opcontent.blogspot.com Posted by: c brackney at May 13, 2004 03:28 PM They didn't just kill him. They posed him, filmed him, decapitated him and uploaded the footage knowing we'd all see it within twenty-four hours. They sawed off Nick Berg's head and held it in front of a camera. It wasn't just an execution, it was a statement. A man's severed head was used as a prop. Somehow that made it worse for me when, acting against my own better judgment, I decided to watch the unedited video online. The tension as the five men stood behind Berg was difficult to bear, knowing how horribly the vignette would end. Seeing him thrown down and brutalized was even more difficult. The plaintive screams, the pool of blood, the sawing across his neck and the ongoing chanting in the background revulsed me in a way I cannot explain. The one thing that stays with me the most, however, was seeing his lifeless head held in front of the camera and then to see it placed, I believe, on his corpse as the camera continued to roll. There was something unspeakably grotesque and unfathomably sad about his head being used to make a political argument. Nick Berg's mutiliation and death continues to be used to make points, and that's what distresses me this morning. We are better than the murderous terrorists who executed the decapitation and I would never argue otherwise. But when it comes to holding that severed head in front of the camera, leaders and pundits are nearly as guilty as those who killed Nick Berg. Yesterday I feared Nick Berg's murder would be trotted out as a reason to back the war on terror. I feared it would be used by others as a reason to reject the war. I worried it would be used to downplay the sadistic actions of Lynndie England and the other guards at Abu Ghraib and to attack those who sought to uncover that scandal. I worried Berg's murder would be held up as an example of what happens when you abuse prisoners. I thought we'd see a prizeless contest develop among analysts, pundits and politicians to see who could offer the most sincere condolences combined with most strongly expressed anger at the perpetrators of the killing. I saw a group of incredibly evil men use a severed head in hopes of pushing their agenda. Now I see Americans doing the same thing. This morning I have read editorials and statements explaining that Nick Berg's legacy will be to strengthen our resolve for the war on terror--his demise reminds us of why we must fight. I have read others who tell me Nick Berg's death is symbolic of all the reasons the war on terror is doomed and how our currently policy merely encourages needless bloodshed. Articles claim Berg's killing shows us how little merit there is in attacks on U.S. treatment of prisoners. I've read more than one person explaining that the errors we made in Abu Ghraib killed Nick Berg and will kill others. Letters of condolence, jammed pack with rhetoric carefully designed to push agendas proliferates. It's not surprising. News events create opportunities to promote agendas. The sum of those events are the evidence from which arguments regarding policy are constructed. Exploitation of particular singular incidents as jumping off points for larger generalizations, although guaranteed to maximize exposure and attention, often find themselves shakily supported. It's surely hard to resist the urge to seize upon the "big story" when one wants to advance their position. I know everyone with an opinion wants to take Nick Berg's death and explain how it fits their worldview and how it makes the truth of their point clear. We are captivated by the cruelty, gore, and sadness. The audience is willing to hear how Nick Berg's murder proves one side right and another wrong. The opportunity to make political gain through his murder is there. Taking advantage of that opportunity, however, is just what I do not need. I do not think it what others need, either. I'm not interested in seeing Nick Berg's head held up as a reason to stop the war, escalate the war, or anything else. When I watched that video, I was overcome by a profound sadness and feeling of helplessness. We have a war in Iraq that's contentious. We have prisoner scandals, rebel fighting, dead contractors, executions, occupation strategies, rebuilding problems, progress, setbacks, and more. It is all part of a larger puzzle that includes the World Trade Center, the U.S.S. Cole, the Munich Olympics, Quadaffi, culture wars, religious history and so many other things that trying to ingest it all seems almost impossible. Nick Berg's bloody decapitation does not clarify or crystallize the issues easily. To claim it does is to be the worst kind of exploiter. The kind of exploiter who waves a lifeless head in front of a camcorder. If you are part of the print media, radio, television or the internet, I ask you not to use Nick Berg's death as "proof" for the correctness of your position. If you are a politician, aide, analyst or spokesperson, I ask you to forget we are in the middle of an election year and to remember that one is not required to reduce every event to a partisan talking point. Nick Berg is dead. I saw them kill him on the internet. That gruesome scene didn't clarify, it didn't vindicate a position. It showed a murder and made me think about things like freedom, evil and war in a very human way. Perhaps it's possible to know about what happened, to see what happened, to let it have its profound personal impact and to move to looking for ways to create a world in which we will not have to see more heads dangled in front of cameras--literally or figuratively. C Brackney Opinionated Content http://opcontent.blogspot.com Posted by: c brackney at May 13, 2004 03:28 PM To address "Tommy's" question from an above post, which, quite frankly left me dumbstruck: 1) The blood, if you pay attention, is in a HUGE pool on the floor around the area of his head. 2) It was extremely "messy". Look more carefully. 3) There is no "backbone" in the neck. There are vertebrae, which have spaces between each one. To cut through this is not difficult. Deer hunters do it all the time in short order. 4) The knife used was undoubtedly extremely sharp and you can see the sawing action used by the killer to remove Mr. Berg's head. While it happens quickly, the killer clearly had to work his way around the neck for full separation. 5) Why was the camera moving around? I've no idea. Perhaps the person holding it was trying to stay out of the way or get a better "vantage point". Does it matter? 6) Why didn't he kick and scream? This one kills me. Nick Berg was bound by his wrists (behind his back) and his ankles. He was in no position to be able to kick. There were five large men surrounding him. There was no way to struggle when he restrained in such a way. Nick Berg DID scream. If you listen carefully you can hear him scream at the first cut amidst the chanting of his killers. You then hear the scream turn to more of a gurgle as his larynx is cut and he loses consciousness. 7) Would I have fought as much as possible? WHAT IN THE HELL WAS HE TO DO SIR?? He was surrounded. He was bound. He knew his fate. What was fighting going to get him? He couldn't fight. Also, you, me, or anyone else don't have ANY idea whatsoever what those last minutes of his life must have been like. Knowing he was going to be killed perhaps he was spending those moments praying. Oftentimes people who know death is impending resign themselves to it. This was a barbaric act perpetrated by evil people. If these animals had Mr. Berg for the month prior to his killing, there is no telling what amounts or kinds of torture he was subject to. To even QUESTION the video, thereby questioning the actual murder of this man is flabbergasting to me. The suffering this man experienced happened BEFORE he was murdered. His death, savage and incomprehensible though it might be, was swift. My prayers are with his family. It all adds up sir. "Think about it" Posted by: ASmith at May 13, 2004 04:17 PM I take exception to a comment made by lauren on May 13th. Just because no WMD have been found doesn't mean there are none TO be found. There is a big difference. Maybe Saddam got smart and ditched them when he saw which way the wind was blowing, maybe they're still hidden. The fact remains that Saddam once had a huge stockpile of some really nasty shit, Anthrax being the least of the list, and no account has ever been found telling of their disposition. Do you have any idea how easy it is to hide that stuff? A good size troop truck with a Level 3 hotzone in the back is really easy to hide in a big desert. Have you ever seen the size of the virus cookers? They're about the size of a beach ball. If not smaller. Think about what exactly our troops are up against over there: Religious fanatics who would rather strap a bomb to their chests and blow themselves, along with as many others who don't agree with them, to Hell, instead of trying to work this out in a rational way. I don't mean all of the Arab and Muslim population, mind you, just the fanatics. There's a huge desert, its around 100 degrees now, and its not even summer! I know, I was there back in 98 during the hottest summer on record. It is not fair to our fighting men and women to turn our backs on them over here when they are having enough trouble over there. Give them a break, and give them the Bravo Zulu's they deserve for having a hard job to do and for doing it the best that they can! I am proud to be an American, and I will remain that way until the day I die! I will always honor and respect those who VOLUNTEER to keep you, me, and everyone else in this country safe, regardless if you like it or not. If you honor them, fine. If not, keep your mouth shut so nobody has to realize how much of an idiot you really are!!! Posted by: Rob at May 13, 2004 06:21 PM I did not read many posts, but I have much commentary of my own. I am a very young American citizen (14), but I wanted to see this video. I did, and I cried. Before this, I supported the war; now I support it even more. This video shows what type of people we are fighting, and the danger they are to the world. I pray to God that we capture them soon so no others will be harmed. The video makes me sick. Posted by: Suvi at May 13, 2004 07:12 PM Upon reading about this I was to say shellshocked. I was even more upset upon learning that the general opinion amongst both youngsters and adults is: "The americans had it coming." refering to the incident with the POW. But the fact that violence only spawns more violence didn't seem enough to me to commit a murder of such medival inspiration. I'm not a racist, but for the last days I've asked myself: "Why is there no christian fanatics responsible for suicide-bombings around the globe?" And it scares me that I can't find an answer to this that won't sound like racial discrimination or anti-islam propaganda. Perhaps you could enlighten me with a proper answer to my question. My condolescence goes out to the family of the victim of this hanous crime. Posted by: Erik at May 13, 2004 07:24 PM This horrific incident just reminds the American people what type of people we are dealing with. And we as Americans should not put up with terrorism in any shape or fashion. Why do we sit by idly and let this happen? Why are we always trying to be the big brother and help all these third world nations that have no respect for thier own people much less any other people. I am totally for this war against terrorism and these people should be hunted down and given the same fate as they gave Nick Berg. I support our president 100%, at least he has the balls to stand up and say that we will not stand for this type of behavior against our nation. But now what do we do? Just continue to help these people who really don't want our help or do we send more troops over there and just end it all by obliterating every iraqi? I think this is a wake up call for us, telling us that more drastic measures need to be taken. I am to the point where I think it will be in the best interest of the rest of the world to do just that. Or even better pull all our troops out of that shithole of a country and drop a few bombs....problem solved. Posted by: Sandra at May 13, 2004 07:37 PM Nobody invited America into Iraq. *There were no weapons of mass destruction and you cannot invade a country based just on suspicion. And it was America who sold Saddam the weapon's in the first place and turned a blind eye when he used them on Iranians and Kurds. *There were not terrorist connections. Sure, Saddam was funding Palestinians, but America funds Israel who perpetrates state terrorism, collective punishment, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and torture. *Saddam was a brute, even to his own people. But the CIA helped him get into power. In fact, it was the CIA who told the Baathists who all the communists were in Iraq, ending in their mass murder. The only reason why the gruesome murder of Nick Berg has outraged so many was because it was taped. Had it not been taped, it would have just been a blurb on the marquee. The ones who killed innocent Nick were not true Muslims. They were fanatics who had strong religious convictions, but no morals, much like Bush and the rest of the Fundamentalist Christians in the US. Imagine if those Southerners who had tied a handicapped black man to thier truck and drove off with his body tearing apart at 50mph attached a camera to their trunk. What kind of outrage would that have produced? Then Muslims could say Americans and Christians are barbaric just the same! Posted by: Bob at May 13, 2004 08:47 PM I have been a Muslim for 9 years now and have read the Qu'ran many times from cover to cover and have yet to come across any verse that in any way shape or form condones what happened to Nick. To say that I am disgusted by this act is a gross understatement. I am almost at a lost for words but I feel that it is my duty as a Muslim, one who tries to adhere to the true principles of my faith, to speak out against these criminals. Some people have blamed America or Bush for invading Irag and while I don't agree with America's occupation of Irag, there is no way to condone this act. In the Qu'ran Allah (God) says that he created mankind so that they may know each other not that they may despise each other. The only thing that sickens me more than this act of vicious cruelty is the fact that these savages actually had the audacity to chant Allahuakbar while committing this sin as if they were in some way doing something pleasing to God. I just hope that Americans look at these criminals as savage individuals and still realize that Muslims like myself are just people who are just as outraged about this travesty as the rest of the world. Posted by: Chris at May 13, 2004 09:36 PM I have been a Muslim for 9 years now and have read the Qu'ran many times from cover to cover and have yet to come across any verse that in any way shape or form condones what happened to Nick. To say that I am disgusted by this act is a gross understatement. I am almost at a lost for words but I feel that it is my duty as a Muslim, one who tries to adhere to the true principles of my faith, to speak out against these criminals. Some people have blamed America or Bush for invading Irag and while I don't agree with America's occupation of Irag, there is no way to condone this act. In the Qu'ran Allah (God) says that he created mankind so that they may know each other not that they may despise each other. The only thing that sickens me more than this act of vicious cruelty is the fact that these savages actually had the audacity to chant Allahuakbar while committing this sin as if they were in some way doing something pleasing to God. I just hope that Americans look at these criminals as savage individuals and still realize that Muslims like myself are just people who are just as outraged about this travesty as the rest of the world. Posted by: Chris at May 13, 2004 09:36 PM I have been a Muslim for 9 years now and have read the Qu'ran many times from cover to cover and have yet to come across any verse that in any way shape or form condones what happened to Nick. To say that I am disgusted by this act is a gross understatement. I am almost at a lost for words but I feel that it is my duty as a Muslim, one who tries to adhere to the true principles of my faith, to speak out against these criminals. Some people have blamed America or Bush for invading Irag and while I don't agree with America's occupation of Irag, there is no way to condone this act. In the Qu'ran Allah (God) says that he created mankind so that they may know each other not that they may despise each other. The only thing that sickens me more than this act of vicious cruelty is the fact that these savages actually had the audacity to chant Allahuakbar while committing this sin as if they were in some way doing something pleasing to God. I just hope that Americans look at these criminals as savage individuals and still realize that Muslims like myself are just people who are just as outraged about this travesty as the rest of the world. Posted by: Chris at May 13, 2004 09:36 PM Sorry for posting my thoughts three times. I hit post too many times but I was eager to get my thought out. Posted by: Chris at May 13, 2004 09:39 PM The problem is that the middle eastern culture does not respect the same ideals western culture does. That culture respects power and nothing more. For us to expect that we can go over there and play nice and they'll just absorb our love of democracy is crazy. We either should have stayed out, or made clear from the beginning that we were going in with a chip on our shoulder because we were fed up with putting up with their BS terrorist tactics. We should have put the world on notice that they either needed to back off or we would back them off, and our commitment shouldn't have been smart bombs and precise insertion of special ops guys, it should have been mass destruction. And to good Muslims like the previous poster, I'd advise that the community -- particularly in the middle east -- do a lot more than give lip service to the notion that the fundamentalists are animals. For Muslims not to be aggressive in their rejection of those tactics only serves to allow the issue to polarize on religion. As an athiest I could give a crap what any of these psychos believe, but I can assure you that if they keep releasing videos like the Nick Berg video they're asking for a showdown they are sure to lose. I can tell you my vote is scorched earth at this point. Posted by: Josh at May 13, 2004 09:55 PM The beheading of Mr Berg (bless his soul) was staged. He was dead before they beheaded him. It IS impossible to perform that kind of horrific act, in that amount of time with a knife, no matter how sharp, or how strong the slayer. The neck area is 6 inches ormore thick of muscle, tendons and bone. There was no blood. There would have been copious amounts. Mr. Berg had been slain hours earlier. How is not important. If it is true, that the horrific act was staged AFTER Mr. Berg was already dead, (which I pray IS true) it would mean that he did not suffer the horror of those moments we have seen. I pray it is true. May those "men" suffer the worst, slowest, most painful death imaginable. Posted by: George Kelly at May 14, 2004 01:15 PM I too saw mention of this video on the internet and my curiosity go the best of me as I searched it our and watched it. I sat with eager anticipation as the statement was read, watching and wondering what it must have felt like to be there, on either side. Then as they began cutting on him and I could hear the screams and the chanting, I was hoping it wasn’t real, but I’m afraid it is. And now I wish I hadn’t seen it. It made me sick to know that another human being can do that to another human being. I wish I wasn’t compelled to respond to all your thoughtful comments, but I am. I don’t want my children to see anything like that. Ever. I think that as Americans we live in society that has been isolated from the world, spoon fed acceptable news by the media. In reality the world is a violent place. The culture we have invaded in Iraq is intolerant of things that we take for granted. The abuses to their people sicken them just as they sicken us, but their culture makes it more so atrocious, plus we invaded them, they didn’t ask for our help. And the soldiers who did the crimes against the prisoners should be ashamed even if they were ordered to do they did so against their better judgment. Who the hell told them to take pictures of what they did, doing it was stupid enough, photographing it was even worse. We have no way of knowing how offended these people are, this gruesome video is just a taste of war. Bullets and bombs do the same thing to people but cameras aren’t there to film it, it’s no less tragic. Hundreds of people are dying. It time to get out. Pull all the troops and come home to protect our own borders. We got enough problems here at home. Pull em out now or move in and stop the violence at whatever cost necessary. Get out or nuke em. Pussyfooting around in the middle, trying to keep peace where there never has been any peace is costing people lives. Posted by: chris at May 14, 2004 01:33 PM I think its time for most you commentators to step outside your own ignorance. You hatred and talk of nuking is the same mentality that terrorists have. You killing innocent Muslims is equal to them killing innocent Christians or Jews? This war between religions is not new and has gone on for thousands of years. There have been times of peace and times of war. Historically Christians have been responsible for more persecution than either of the other two religions. Let me remind you all of the crusades, the inquisition and the holocaust. Nothing that the Muslims have done has accumulated to the horrors committed by the Christians. There are two major obstacles that have prevented western religions from getting along, Although we all have the same god. Allah = God = Jeovah. First all three have been proselytizing religions. Each has had some feeling that it has come the closest to the essential truths of God and the world, and that the others have somehow failed to recognize this. Each religion has looked at one another and said that, despite elements of deep commonality, there exist also fundamental heresies. Indeed within each of these religions, at various times, splits have turned one group against another amidst cries of heresy and calls to armed opposition. Second, as each religion developed, it sought the support of government. It often sought to be the government. Truth was to be reinforced by power. Basic competition over spiritual and philosophical truths spilled over into competition also for tax monies, office, land, and public acceptance of specific ritual and architectural symbols, and suppression of opposition. Lets get educated before we start spitting dribble and hate onto the web pages. Your hate only increases hate. STOP!!!! Posted by: A JEW at May 14, 2004 02:32 PM I was appalled to discover that websites like this existed--I was also saddened. It is funny that many of the people on this site that claim to want to spread peace and democracy only speak of hate. This war that America is fighting is one based more on delusions than reality . . . and apparently many of you are delusional. Perhaps it is merely human nature to be so--many people have blindly followed leaders in the past--they will blindly follow them in the future--and it appears that many blindly follow now. Follow George Bush . . . as the Germans followed Hitler. Follow George Bush . . . as the Russians followed Stalin. Follow George Bush . . . as many others have followed mass-murderers. It is your prerogative to follow . . . I, however, am not a follower. Finally . . . I agree with "Chris"--"Your hate only increases hate. STOP!!!!" Posted by: kerry at May 14, 2004 03:19 PM In no way would I defend this horrific action inflicted on another human being. But how is this any more horrific than American snipers and air power slaughtering hundreds of civilians in Falluja (including hundreds of women and children) as retaliation for the murder of mercenaries. The Geneva convention, and, for fuck's sake, minimal standards of humanity should prevent collective punishment as acceptable practice. Who are we, Ghengis fuckin' Kan? And for all of those who are down-playing the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, well, most of the prisoners WERE NOT TERRORISTS. These are everyday citizens who have been (according the the American military's OWN REPORT) rounded up, arrested without charge, held without representation and then beaten, humiliated, raped, sodomized, and in several cases, beaten to death. How would you feel if North Korea and China invaded the U.S. and treated all of you the same way? Wouldn't you be angry? Do you imagine that in this country of yours that has seen the brutal murders of hundreds of black men and women, for the crime of being black, you wouldn't see this kind of barbaric response? And finally, why is it so outlandish to think that before and during a war that is expensive in terms of money, human life, environmental cost and geopolitical backlash, we should take the time to be HIGHLY CRITICAL of our actions and motivations. People put more critical thought into buying a new pair of pants than the current administration will allow anyone to put into decisions around this war. And to all those blatant racists who just want to nuke the whole middle east... that makes you A THOUSAND TIMES WORSE than those bastards who beheaded Nick Berg. If the U.S. takes this route, at the prompting of idiots like you, you will have the blood of millions on your hands. Millions of men, women and children whose only crime is to be part of a religion that has a small, radical extremist branch (cuz the Christian fanatics have never in history slaughtered others for their beliefs (sic)). Besides they don't hate our freedom, they hate a century of Christians slaughtering them and stealing their resources. Or do you forget that we've been DROPPING FUCKING CLUSTER BOMBS ON THEIR FAMILIES? I suspect that it's the cluster bombs, mines, tanks, collective punishment, arrest without charge, destructions of their homes and starvation due to our sanctions that make them hate us, not 'our freedom'. Posted by: steve at May 14, 2004 03:46 PM Words cannot describe the grisly terror I felt when I--regretfully--saw the video. Those PSYCHOTIC ZEROES are FAKE MUSLIMS. They WILL get PAYBACK, each and every one of them via KHARMIC RETRIBUTION. They surely made their so-called "fight" a harder one, because many in the world now have proof of how ANIMALISTIC they are. How USELESS they are to this world. I feel sorry for anybody born into the Arab world. We all KNOW how INSIPID those murderous men (no, boys) are. How useless they are. How incredibly INSANE they are. They actually THINK that we AMERICANS and the rest of the world will actually "learn" a lesson by watching or learning of such a horrific fate against a fellow human being who DID NOT DESERVE to have his life prematurely end like that. If anything, those MURDEROUS EMBECILES are ASSURING the absolute annihilation of their culture, if not their Arabic/Semitic phenotype. I know we don't belong in Iraq, but things are guaranteed to get REAL UGLY when outraged Americans and others worldwide realize what a problem those radicals really are. Seriously, I think that their so-called "Allah" needs to come down to Earth and make examples of them to the rest of the world. Killing a human being is heinous. Broadcasting it and gloating in it is beyond words. I am speechless. I am breathless. I am thoroughly frustrated. One thing is for sure, I am resolved to pitching in wherever I can via letters, monetary donations, lending over all support to put those animals out of business. How's that for a lesson learned you COWARDLY RELIGIOUS MUSLIM FREAKS!!!!! May you and your kind be vanished from this world FOREVER. Posted by: Villalpando at May 14, 2004 03:52 PM The video was horrible, and I, as everybody else, felt sick watching it. Psychos in the western world are criminal, in al-Quaida and other terror organisations they are treated as saints. Why is this happening? It is not simple. But the hatred against USA in Iraq isn't surpricing, eventhough this act was beyond measures. What else could you except when you invade a country? I agree, there were reasons to invade. But when Bush didn't show any respect for UN, I can't see any reason to justify the war. Americans seem to be so afraid of everything outside US. (No shit, 9/11!) I admire USA in many ways, but when you only think of revenge, your philosophy isn't more civilized than the islamic fundamentalist's. Please, you are the most powerful nation in the west, and in the world. You can do better than to hate and act as world cops! Critize your government and media and think. Posted by: Rasmus, Sweden at May 14, 2004 04:19 PM The video is sickening, how can one person kill another in the name of god? An innocent person at that, it does not matter where you are from or what religion you are. Everyone is human and the killing of another human being is just wrong. Its sickening that these people are that brain washed that they would do this. And thats what they are brain washed, simpletons who only know one thing, how to follow orders. These people are sick, but the killing of this one american is hitting home more than the killing of innocent iraqi's. Posted by: Ank at May 14, 2004 04:43 PM These are scary and almost end times. America is a country that was built on hate. I am a white women and I am disgusted by how many racist remarks come from white people in regard to this horrible incident. American's, especially white Americans are extremely arrogant. We have always treated other races bad and unfairly because of the color of thier skin. Bush is a racist who thinks the people of Iraq are stupid and beneath him. That is one reason that we are losing this war. Sheer arrogance. Wake up people, today is the first day of the rest of your life. This will forever be a tit-for-tat war now. First the stupid red neck servicemen in the photos doing thier typical racist thing, and now a poor innocent guy from Philly gets murdered. Those terrorists were serious, those soldiers were racist and ignorant. Also, Bush does not worship my God? Posted by: Tracy Sue Kellog at May 14, 2004 06:17 PM The people who did this are pure evil - I hope they they pay the price for what they did. My prayers are with Mr Berg's friends and family. What happened in the Abu Graib prison is in no way a justification for this evil act. When and if the Iraq situation is resolved in years to come, what will happen next? Most of the extremists are from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iran etc, what can the coalition do about the terrorists from these countries? I don't know how they can justify doing this for Islam. Muslims have been known to carry out beheading's against non-muslims on many occasions, in Bosnia many Christian Serb villagers were beheaded by Muslims and photographed with them being shown like trophies. Why was they world (Nato in Bosnia and Kosovo 1999) supporting extremist Muslims? I believe the Arab world's media is helping to fuel anti American and British feeling. There wasn't much coverage about the beheading, also the photo's of British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners have today proven to be a hoax, the editor of that particular newspaper was sacked but the world's media will not pay any attention too this. Posted by: Steve, Great Britain at May 14, 2004 07:03 PM Ank First off Mr. Burg was kidnapped along time before this happened, the terrorists were looking for a reason. If that reason didn't come they still would have killed him. Remember Danial Pearl? What was the reason there? If you thinking ameraicans are racist why live in this country? A person who is accomplished has the right to be arrogent, but aslong as that person doesn't push that on others. At no time did we ever push ourselves on any of these Muslim fanatics in the last 10 years. If my memory servers me correctly Clinton tried to stay out of there way and guess what they came at us on 9/11. And if you think these people will stop coming at us if we leave Iraq, you are very ignorent. I'm not supported what happened at that prison but those were people were being interrogated. Psycological interrogation is very powerful. And if they don't have access to those means we have already lost. Because you never know what information those people know. Granted this like what was showen in the pics were very wrong. But that is war. We are at war with people who have no laws on ethics. We can't win a war if we think we have to be "proper" Posted by: ent at May 14, 2004 07:42 PM y r u guys fighting this war? why did the 9/11 happened? if you cant forget that for the past few years how can these guys forget for so many years decade that their homes bein taken away, their freedom been taken away,their food been taken away, watchin their loved ones suffer slowly dying every day, the tears adn hate they accumulated for many years. if one big giant sits there and sucks their blood they will rise like poisnous scorpions. lets someobdy down to america and invade thier land and show them how to run a govt and real democracy, would you like that? would you like if some other country invades your land and strips your innocent men naked and abuse them verbally and physically? yea they are barbarians, barbarains that have turned out to be human less with no emotions, cause they got nohting to lose, either they kill you or get themselves killed. You people all know and you all see this picture, but youhave to do what you have to do STAND BY YOUR LEADER. but dont forget one wrong doesnt make another right, two wrongs dont make it right either. you want love, peace adn freedom then show it, not byinvading lands cause its got oil , not by turning blind eye when others fav allie is building nuclear weapons. be fair to all and get fair treatment. there i s more to the picture that is being shown to all of us. we all know these barberic acts need to be stopped by not forcningand showing our power by understanding and freindship and love and care. i dont side anybody not the evil doers or the hypocrites. i side humanity. HUMANITY. Posted by: ik_kk at May 14, 2004 10:56 PM I have heard all your comments, I feel your anger and I know the outcome of all of this. Speaking to all the religions…..YOUR ALL WRONG! I am what I am the true living GOD. Everything was fine until one day you said you desired a king, so I gave you Saul.Remember? You didn’t trust me so I gave you a human king and ever since that time you have made a mess of humanity. You have divided, subdivided and have built holy shrines to appease righteous selves. You no longer serve me but you build temples and worship shrines and leaders who are misguided and full of themselves Religion is a stench to my nostrils. These traumatic events that are taking place before your eyes have all been written. A new day is coming where your shrines and temples will no longer satisfy your spiritual souls. Men will run to and fro looking for me but will not find me. Yes the end will come and it is very near. Read my word and you will know from the signs. I’m planning a great banquet dinner for my saints and I want you to know that you all have been invited. At birth I gave each of you a conscience and free will to make your own choices. Come judgment day you will all stand before me and I will look through you like an x-ray, where everything will be exposed good and bad. Until that time comes I will patiently wait for you to simply acknowledge me and confess your sins. I am a loving God and I will greet you with great joy. Until that time keep the faith and do not be distracted by these evil events. These things must happen to fulfill what has already been written. I will guide you if you take some time to be quiet and hear my voice. Yes the world is getting darker but you are my lights. And even though many of the candles are snuffed out, I will see yours if it’s the last burning flicker. Oh yes! Do not look for me in the temples I do not reside there, you will find me in your heart. Posted by: The messenger at May 14, 2004 11:50 PM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM The prophets of God have prophesied of these kind of events which would increase in the winding up scenes of the last days. Our task is to promote love as best we can - a judgment day will come for all those who live in hate and commit murders. Yes, we should defend ourselves, our families, our children, our freedoms, and even those who are being brutualized - but going to war out of hate or revenge is wrong. I am sadened by some of the hateful comments made. God will judge and a penalty will have to be paid for God is not only a merciful God, he is also a just God. Let's all pray that the hatred and violence will stop. Peace is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . if only mankind would allow it to. Muslims (true Muslims) have the same tenants and beliefs.I believe President Bush to be a very religious man - a man who does not delight in killing, etc., however, we cannot allow these killers to have free reign in their brutalizing measures. Why does the world hate America so much? Perhaps it is because of our lifestyle, our freedoms, our prosperity, and perhaps unfortunately our arrogance at times. But, what country in the world has given aid and help to others more than the United States of America. Its unfortunate that we too have our "bad apples" who seem to betray our ideals - they too need to be punished for their actions. Posted by: Arnold Pitcher at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM Let's face it: the world is evil. Satan lives! He lives on Earth, and his demons live in many people. Only One can stop him, and will stop him, and that will be the end of this world as we know it. Watch for Him to come in the clouds. Posted by: jk at May 15, 2004 12:16 AM You may not believe in the war. I don't believe in the war. But if we are going to be over there there are only two things we can do. 1. NUKE ALL of them. (I'm not joking) The muslims and jews have been fighting for over 2000 years, do we REALLY think that we can stop that in a couple. The only thing that will stop it is the complete and TOTAL anihalation of the whole area and ALL people within. 2. Get the hell out. Close up our borders and dont' let anyone wearing a rag on their head or sand in their ass crack into the country. I personaly don't think that we should still be in Iraq. We got Saddam. The whole notion of "Rebuilding a conquered nation" is a new concept that is NOT working. I don't know why we should build it back up for the radical muslims to just tear back down again. This is a race that WANTS to be oppresed and controled. Lets just get the hell OUT and let them continue killing "themselves" for the next 2000 years and maybe the world will be better for it. Lets call it thining the herd! Posted by: Matt at May 15, 2004 12:37 AM You may not believe in the war. I don't believe in the war. But if we are going to be over there there are only two things we can do. 1. NUKE ALL of them. (I'm not joking) The muslims and jews have been fighting for over 2000 years, do we REALLY think that we can stop that in a couple. The only thing that will stop it is the complete and TOTAL anihalation of the whole area and ALL people within. 2. Get the hell out. Close up our borders and dont' let anyone wearing a rag on their head or sand in their ass crack into the country. I personaly don't think that we should still be in Iraq. We got Saddam. The whole notion of "Rebuilding a conquered nation" is a new concept that is NOT working. I don't know why we should build it back up for the radical muslims to just tear back down again. This is a race that WANTS to be oppresed and controled. Lets just get the hell OUT and let them continue killing "themselves" for the next 2000 years and maybe the world will be better for it. Lets call it thining the herd! Posted by: Matt at May 15, 2004 12:38 AM Here it is the actuall thing. 1.What about the religions? What makes us diffrent because u belive in a guy with 6 arms, cross, or a moon and a start 2.No one is good, Christians has crussades and THE POPE had appoligized about it and the asshole are still not forgiving 3.THE HISTORY 3.What about BRITAIN they should be blamed to remember. When they controlled that part of the world. Gave Isral to JEWS and made INDIAN fight between each other in CIVIL WAR. REMB Ghandi GHANDI 4. What if Napoleon beat Russia in January and February. 5.What if ADOLF HITLER took all of the AFRICA,ASIA, and EUROPE. 6.WHO killed JESUS? JEWs really the ROMANS in that area agreed to follow what ever the people from that are said. 7.What about the HOLOCAUST that caused all of the JEWS to move to Isreal. 8.The palistines telling their kids to bomb them selfs and kills JEWs. Idiot fucking fucking idiots stop killing ur own people (Kids) 9.THE USA> the most powerful nation in the history of the WORLD. They are to much involved and are trying to be the big dog. I am from EUROPE but I am form EX-Yugolavia. YEA the war in BOSNIA y did u help that NATION when now u have Al QUEDA even hiding there. 10.THE VIDEO of the KIlling. THAT IS NOT RIGHT> I agree MUSLIM NATIONS are tooooooo stupid and they are in DARK DARK Ages of the WORLD the people follow what ever they hear about ALAH. 11.REMEMBER in almost every war the USA supports the MUSLIMS. 12.COME ON GUYS there WILL NEVER be PEACE \/ PEACE y people hate each other we are all the same we have changed the WHOLE world to the ANIMALS that ruled the world. 13.IDIOTs IDIOTs you can not THROW a NUKE!!! if u do remember the HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI still cause people all over WORLD and CALifornia to get birth effect because of the bomb. 14. THE MUSLIMS are too dependent on ALAH and TERRORISM is gay. If u think ur going to paradise by killing ur self and other normal even better people than u!! ur wrong worng 15.MiDDLE EAST Sux. Y are all the muslims so dependent on the idiots to run the country and try to spread ISLAM so much. 16.What is going to happen in FUTURE no one knows, y is making ur self be a fucking HERO if u hold a AK-47 in ur hand. THAT doesnt make u a man. THE real man is GHANDI. Violence is all over the world and it never caused anything good. 17.I AM EUROPEAN but USA CITIZEN all people are stubborn and even AMERICAN and EUROPEANS and etc. When will the next war in EUROPE break out. 18. You know why UN / NATO didnt want USA to attack IRAQ b/c Germany is full of MUSLIMS.FRANCE is full of MUSLIMS. SO is RUSSIA,SPAIN, and The BALKAN Countries. 19.I have been where there is shooting and killing live in that COUNTRY but the peopel who want to go to the war do not know whats it like to almost get KILLED and to be in A WAR. USA is safe. 20.911 could have been stopped. it was let to be happen on purposse so that USA has a REASON to attack IRAQ. THey knew about it in 2000 not maybe the exact thing and everything but it could have. 21. SEND some GANGSTAS (Black PEOPLE from the Ghetto) to WAR because they are GANGSTA let them see what its like to hold a GUN and be the real thing. Send RAPPERS to war and FOOTBALL, Basketball Players and see how GANGSTA they are. REMEMBER WHO REALLY RUNS THE WORLD> USA NO who really RUNS those COUNTRIE People that have no POWERE THAT A GOVERMET,PResident,and even the CONGRESS. WHo are and say what will be show on TV so that what public want. REMEMBER AREA 51- WHAT IS THAT who can even get in there. and what is in there. is there anyone outside the EARTH that peopel actually see and what is LIFE. WHAT Is the Purpose of us he. WEre we just a accident that evolved from the monkey and it from the organism. ARE WE gonna kill each other and not bu anything alse. Posted by: THE EXAMPLE at May 15, 2004 01:35 AM My God, does anyone not remember 9/11??? I sure do and I remember the tears I shed that day. There are loved ones of over 3,000 people out there that remember that day also. 3,000 people!!! We have to do this, we have to be in Iraq and take care of this or they will be here taking care of us again. This is a perfectly timed act by enemy. I'm sure these acts have been going on the whole time over there they now have something to use against us and they sure are doing that. They know that the abuse of the prisioners was going to cause a huge controversy here. So they used retaliation of such a heinous nature to divide us as a country even more. These are very smart people we are up against. We must remain strong and support each other and our government. We are the USA!! In response to Tommy... I am in the medical profession and it is difficult, but you can remove the head with a precise cut. Also, after watching the video I do believe that I saw the floor immediately flooded with blood. Posted by: Veronica at May 15, 2004 02:03 AM Build tanks....lots and lots of tanks. Then bulldoze the whole fuckin' place into the Med. I'm so sick and tired of the mideast and all these oxygen thieving muslim jihadists that i can't hardly see straight. Wake up and smell the crude oil! Have you seen any influential muslim clerics sincerely condemning this (or the Daniel Pearl) murder? No you haven't. Know why? Because deep down inside, every muslim has a little jihadist inside of them trying to get out. This is an us or them situation folks...9/11 made that crystal clear. And I'll tell you what, it aint gonna' be us. By the way, is it just my imagination, or are muslims the only ones who strap bombs to their bodies and blow up women and childern or fly planes into skyscrapers? So don't feed me any more of this "islam is a peaceful religion" bullshit. No religion is peaceful. It's time to drop the golves and get knee deep in some terrorist muslim ass. We should have done it when we were there in 1990 and had the troops and resources to go into syria and iran (among others) to kill the cancer once and for all. As for the EU (which doesn't include the UK of course), their collective opinion counts for shit. We have super Wal-Marts with larger economies. We'll be just fine without your bottled water, cheese and shitty subtitled movies thank you very much. I think we can fight the war without the help of your 25 guys. Finally, everyone knows this isn't about democracy and humanitarianism. We are there now because if we don't take drastic action, we'll wind up w/another 9/11 (or worse) on our hands. "Can't we all just get along?" you ask...i guess not. And to all you Jane Fonda types who posted previously, my advice to you is move to Canada while there's still time. I think they have midnight basketball and socialized medicine up there...you'll love it. I feel better now. Posted by: the terminator at May 15, 2004 02:07 AM "First the stupid red neck servicemen in the photos doing thier typical racist thing" I love these kind of statements. This woman's obvious hatred of racists, yet is looking no further than her own bedroom mirror. There will never be an end to racism because the world is full of people like this. A racist branding a racist eh? Unbelievable. Hate breeds hate and again we see the mention of "god" within her text! (Note God is often mentioned when somebody is blatantly expressing their anger or hatred for other human beings) ... Im often proud to be an aethiest. Another thing to note is that the Nic Berg murder was committed because (probably) he was a Jew and on top of that he was a white American! Isnt that Racist too???????? of course it is but too many people who blame people for being racist cannot seem to comprehend that racism is evident in ALL RACES, COLOURS, CULTURES and RELIGIONS! Hell, we've suffered racism for centuries within Britain between the 4 countries that make up the United Kingdom and that's nothing to do with colour! The reason those Iraqi prisoners were abused were because the guards were uneducated thugs in military uniforms and quite possibly the High School bullies who never grew up!! Ok, so Im apalled at the Nic Berg Video. Im still disturbed by it almost 48hrs later. It continues to replay in my head and I wish I could erase it now that I have satisfied my curiosity. (what a sick thing curiosity can be) I was also apalled by the photographs at the Prison, I thought the western world was more civilized ... but here is the thing .... We """ARE""" appalled by the photographs and we """ARE""" bringing the individuals responsible to justice. We realise murder is wrong but from our history we tend to accept it happens during war. Again, we know it's wrong but sometimes it's a case of "Its not what you do, its the way that you do it" Nic Berg was apparently a wonderful human being on all counts. He did not deserve to die like that (nobody should die like that) ... and to record and parade his death like these psycopaths did is truly something that we will never understand fully. Now, here is the difference.... Over the past couple of days, Ive been pretty obsessed with the whole media/video footage you can find on the Internet. I realised there was 'stuff' out there but didn't think Id ever feel the need to surf around to find it. Well in the past couple of days. Ive seen the Nic Berg video, the Daniel Pearl video and then others, I decided to stop watching after a couple of seconds. I think the Nic Berg was enough to last me a lifetime. Basically I came across Muslim/Arab Tv Shows showing a 3 year old child spewing verbal hate for any non-muslim while being interviewed and praised! Another where the Suicide bombers are painted as beautiful human beings who have experienced the most wonderful moment of their life in blowing up their own body for "Allah" ... another of the praise and rejoicing following the terrorist attacks and killings of all non -Muslims around the world. Other disturbing footage I came across was of Al Qaeda meetings of support in America and England where these Extremists are actually seen in OUR Community Centres, recruiting and recommending the spread of hatred towards ANYBODY who is a non-believer and to go out to Iraq and help the "Brothers" kill Britains and Americans. I mean C'mon Blair and Bush, get em out!!!!!!! These fanatics appear on the front of our tabloids in Britain for milking the welfare system and organising demonstrations against us, burning the American and British flag and we cant get them out of our countries why???????????????? Because our politics dont allow it??????????? Ummmm Hello!?!?!? then rewrite the friggin book guys!!!! Ok so here is my point. While we may be hated because our Militaries are considered 'Bullies' and have done some dispicable things (Granted). These people have been brainwashed since birth to hate us with a passion. Yes, Muslims can come to our Countries and erect their Mosques, to pray to Allah and live their culture but can that be said about the American who'd like to go to Baghdad and build a Christian Church? I feel like we're fighting a never ending viscious circle. Look at the hatred we have in our own countries we have mixed our cultures in the belief that we can all get along and live in harmony side by side but sadly it just never happens. Religion, race, colour or politics become an issue and people die because of it. Im starting to think that maybe, just maybe we might all be better off apart. Religion and money, Ive had enough ... Posted by: JS Lady at May 15, 2004 02:11 AM I thought you should read this. History has a way of showing you what you are up against. The man that I speak of lived 200 years ago. He wanted things his way and demanded absolute loyalty. He killed anyone who disagreed. He killed anyone in his way. He killed just when he was in a bad mood. Ringing any bells Who was Shaka Zulu? 2002 by PageWise A short biography on a man with incredible vision Shaka,(notice the positive spin for a dictator and murderer) Zulu King. The estimated year of Shaka's birth was 1785. He was born to Nandi, daughter of a previous chief of the eLangeni tribe. His father, Senzangakona was the chief of the then small Zulu tribe. The marriage of his parents, after his conception, did not last, and although Nandi returned to her tribe, she was made to feel unwelcome. She returned to the Zulus, who tolerated her, but was nevertheless not treated well. Shaka was teased and ridiculed and made to feel like an outsider. (Doesn't this "feel" like the story of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Ishmael where one belongs and one doesn’t and guess who's pissed) He understandably grew up to be bitter and angry, hating his tormentors and listening carefully to his mother's tales about his royal blood on both sides (Mohamed and the Quaran say that the Muslim people are closet to Allah.)He was a young man in his early twenties when he became a warrior for the Mtetwa tribe, fighting for his people and for six years he proved to be an outstanding soldier. He firmly believed in being the conqueror, never the conquered ( death to the infidels, anyone?) and would hate it when another, weaker tribe surrendered before war could take place. (Tiny Israel must be removed from the face of the earth.) He created a dangerous weapon called the iKlwa. Dingiswayo, the chief of the Mtetwas saw Shaka's potential and decided to train him as a future chief of the Zulus, (Saudi Arabia funded a bunch of schools) a tribe that the Mtetwas had conquered during Shaka's first battle. Dingiswayo reasoned that Shaka and the Zulus would act as a buffer against invading forces. Shaka rose through the ranks of the Mtetwa army and soon became the leader. (Militants now control Islam. No one dares to speak out or they will die.) He carefully and meticulously planned and formatted brilliant battle strategies and al