Three Arab states condemn American's beheading

[kramadas]

NOt too many but defiitely a big step in the right direction...

CNN) -- Three Arab states -- Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates --- are condemning the beheading of American Nicholas Berg by his Iraqi captors, shown in a video that appeared on an Islamist Web site.

"There is no doubt that killing detainees and mutilating the remains of the dead are acts which are condemned by all religions and contrary to the morals of all nations and peoples," Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan said in a statement released Wednesday.

"The Al-Zarqawi group is a criminal, deviant and un-Islamic group, allied with bin Laden and the criminals of Al Qaeda who are killing even Muslims and Arabs for no reason.

"Accordingly, it is not out of character for them to commit acts that violate the teachings of Islam, a noble religion that deplores such acts."

The Web site that posted the video said the killing was carried out by Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi , a Jordanian national who heads an Islamist terrorist group that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on coalition forces in Iraq. The United States has accused Zarqawi of having close ties with Osama bin Laden.

Berg's captors said his killing was in part a response to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.

UAE: 'We are ashamed'

The Jordanian Embassy in Washington issued its own release, decrying the beheading.

"Jordan strongly condemns the barbaric act committed against Mr. Nick Berg, a U.S. contractor in Iraq, by the terrorist group headed by Abu Al Zarqawi.

"Jordan has issued a death sentence against Al Zarqawi for his terrorist activities which threatened to kill thousands of Jordanian citizens and for plotting attacks against U.S. and foreign interests in Jordan."

The United Arab Emirates called the killing a "heinous crime against the civilized world."

"We are ashamed because these terrorists carried out this revolting and inhumane act in the name of our religion and culture," UAE Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan said in a written statement. "This disgusting brutality can never be justified and has nothing to do with Islam or with our Arab values."

He also extended the UAE's condolences to the family of Berg, saying, "We pray for them to find the courage and strength to deal with their loss."

In the video, Berg, 26, is shown sitting in front of five armed, hooded men. He is shoved to the ground, and one of his captors pulls out a machete-like knife and decapitates him. One of the men then holds Berg's severed head up for the camera.

As Berg's remains were returned to American soil Wednesday, the United States vowed it would find out who was behind his murder.

"The U.S. government is committed to a very thorough and robust investigation to get to the bottom of this," Dan Senor, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad.

Senor said several agencies will be involved in the investigation, including the Department of Defense and the FBI. "We'll be announcing who takes the lead."

President Bush said "there is no justification" for the murder.

"The actions of the terrorists who executed this man remind us of the nature of a few people who want to stop the advance of freedom in Iraq," Bush said.

"Their intention is to shake our will. Their intention is to shake our confidence. Yet by their actions they remind us of how desperately parts of the world need free societies and peaceful societies."

Berg's body was flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

A public memorial service for Berg will be held at 3:30 p.m. Friday at a synagogue, congregation Kesher Israel, in his home city of West Chester, Pennsylvania, said Carl Goldstein, who is with a funeral home in Philadelphia coordinating the service.

'Psychopaths' will face justice

Iraqi Human Rights Minister Bakhtiar Amin said Iraq would do everything within its power to bring Berg's killers to justice.

"Those psychopaths who committed this immoral crime should be brought before justice very rapidly and get their deserved punishment," Amin said. (Full story)

British Prime Minister Tony Blair described the killing as "a truly barbaric act."

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell said he was appalled at "the horrific and inhumane way" Berg was killed.

Berg had gone to Iraq to work on communication towers and had been missing since April 9.

He was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24, under suspicion of possible involvement in illegal or terrorist activities. He was released April 6.

The day before his release, Berg's family filed a lawsuit against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Defense Department, saying the United States was holding its son without merit.

Berg told his family he was arranging to come home before he disappeared.

Senor said FBI officials met with Berg while he was in the custody of Iraqi police in Mosul. But he said Berg was never in U.S. custody and that decisions about his detention and release were up to the Iraqi police.

The FBI "met with him on three occasions and made their own determination that he was not suspected of being involved in any criminal or terrorist activities. But he was at no time under the jurisdiction or within the detention of coalition forces," Senor said.

The FBI issued a statement Wednesday saying that the Coalition Provisional Authority offered to give Berg "safe passage" out of Iraq, but he refused.

"He also refused government offers to advise his family and friends of his status," the FBI statement said.

In addition, the statement said Berg's remains were found Saturday, May 8, not Monday as previously reported.

Family accuses U.S. government

Berg's brother, David, told reporters outside his family's house Wednesday that the family received e-mails from Berg after his release in which he made clear he had been held by U.S. forces.

In an interview with Boston radio station WBUR on Tuesday, Berg's father, Michael, said: "I still hold [Rumsfeld] responsible because if they had let him go after a more reasonable amount of time or if they had given him access to lawyers we could have gotten him out of there before the hostilities escalated.

"That's really what cost my son his life was the fact that the U.S. government saw fit to keep him in custody for 13 days without any of his due process or civil rights and released him when they were good and ready."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/13/iraq.berg/index.html

[g420]

NOt too many but defiitely a big step in the right direction...

CNN) -- Three Arab states -- Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates --- are condemning the beheading of American Nicholas Berg by his Iraqi captors, shown in a video that appeared on an Islamist Web site.

"There is no doubt that killing detainees and mutilating the remains of the dead are acts which are condemned by all religions and contrary to the morals of all nations and peoples," Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan said in a statement released Wednesday.

"The Al-Zarqawi group is a criminal, deviant and un-Islamic group, allied with bin Laden and the criminals of Al Qaeda who are killing even Muslims and Arabs for no reason.

"Accordingly, it is not out of character for them to commit acts that violate the teachings of Islam, a noble religion that deplores such acts."

The Web site that posted the video said the killing was carried out by Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi , a Jordanian national who heads an Islamist terrorist group that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on coalition forces in Iraq. The United States has accused Zarqawi of having close ties with Osama bin Laden.

Berg's captors said his killing was in part a response to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.

UAE: 'We are ashamed'

The Jordanian Embassy in Washington issued its own release, decrying the beheading.

"Jordan strongly condemns the barbaric act committed against Mr. Nick Berg, a U.S. contractor in Iraq, by the terrorist group headed by Abu Al Zarqawi.

"Jordan has issued a death sentence against Al Zarqawi for his terrorist activities which threatened to kill thousands of Jordanian citizens and for plotting attacks against U.S. and foreign interests in Jordan."

The United Arab Emirates called the killing a "heinous crime against the civilized world."

"We are ashamed because these terrorists carried out this revolting and inhumane act in the name of our religion and culture," UAE Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan said in a written statement. "This disgusting brutality can never be justified and has nothing to do with Islam or with our Arab values."

He also extended the UAE's condolences to the family of Berg, saying, "We pray for them to find the courage and strength to deal with their loss."

In the video, Berg, 26, is shown sitting in front of five armed, hooded men. He is shoved to the ground, and one of his captors pulls out a machete-like knife and decapitates him. One of the men then holds Berg's severed head up for the camera.

As Berg's remains were returned to American soil Wednesday, the United States vowed it would find out who was behind his murder.

"The U.S. government is committed to a very thorough and robust investigation to get to the bottom of this," Dan Senor, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad.

Senor said several agencies will be involved in the investigation, including the Department of Defense and the FBI. "We'll be announcing who takes the lead."

President Bush said "there is no justification" for the murder.

"The actions of the terrorists who executed this man remind us of the nature of a few people who want to stop the advance of freedom in Iraq," Bush said.

"Their intention is to shake our will. Their intention is to shake our confidence. Yet by their actions they remind us of how desperately parts of the world need free societies and peaceful societies."

Berg's body was flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

A public memorial service for Berg will be held at 3:30 p.m. Friday at a synagogue, congregation Kesher Israel, in his home city of West Chester, Pennsylvania, said Carl Goldstein, who is with a funeral home in Philadelphia coordinating the service.

'Psychopaths' will face justice

Iraqi Human Rights Minister Bakhtiar Amin said Iraq would do everything within its power to bring Berg's killers to justice.

"Those psychopaths who committed this immoral crime should be brought before justice very rapidly and get their deserved punishment," Amin said. (Full story)

British Prime Minister Tony Blair described the killing as "a truly barbaric act."

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell said he was appalled at "the horrific and inhumane way" Berg was killed.

Berg had gone to Iraq to work on communication towers and had been missing since April 9.

He was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24, under suspicion of possible involvement in illegal or terrorist activities. He was released April 6.

The day before his release, Berg's family filed a lawsuit against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Defense Department, saying the United States was holding its son without merit.

Berg told his family he was arranging to come home before he disappeared.

Senor said FBI officials met with Berg while he was in the custody of Iraqi police in Mosul. But he said Berg was never in U.S. custody and that decisions about his detention and release were up to the Iraqi police.

The FBI "met with him on three occasions and made their own determination that he was not suspected of being involved in any criminal or terrorist activities. But he was at no time under the jurisdiction or within the detention of coalition forces," Senor said.

The FBI issued a statement Wednesday saying that the Coalition Provisional Authority offered to give Berg "safe passage" out of Iraq, but he refused.

"He also refused government offers to advise his family and friends of his status," the FBI statement said.

In addition, the statement said Berg's remains were found Saturday, May 8, not Monday as previously reported.

Family accuses U.S. government

Berg's brother, David, told reporters outside his family's house Wednesday that the family received e-mails from Berg after his release in which he made clear he had been held by U.S. forces.

In an interview with Boston radio station WBUR on Tuesday, Berg's father, Michael, said: "I still hold [Rumsfeld] responsible because if they had let him go after a more reasonable amount of time or if they had given him access to lawyers we could have gotten him out of there before the hostilities escalated.

"That's really what cost my son his life was the fact that the U.S. government saw fit to keep him in custody for 13 days without any of his due process or civil rights and released him when they were good and ready."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/13/iraq.berg/index.html

yawn

[cintron]

Powell said it. Its amazing the outrage that existed about the arab prisoners being abused... and yet we see a guy get his head cut off on television and it's like... reluctant outrage on the part of the arab leaders. like "okay okay we'll be outraged but only so much as to appear concerned."

had it been an American doing that to an Arab on TV, you can bet we would have had the world trying to invade us. Interesting to see how unbalanced things really are when you come down to it. It's not "oh look it's a human being tortured" it's "eh it's an American being tortured." Sheesh and people accuse US of being superficial and ignorant.

so self centered this world is.