Qaeda Leader Beheads U.S. Civilian in Iraq

[Harovan]

Wasn't it Marx, who said this?

[dannubis]

Could be...
but it was mao who turned this into a religious dogma

[Vince278]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
Wasn't it Marx, who said this?

Correct. "Religion is the opiate of the masses".

[dannubis]

oh great, one thing i thought mao was actually right about, he stole from marx



good for nothin'

[Drake Tungsten]

This is unexpected, but welcome. Urge to kill, fading...

Three Arab states condemn American's beheading

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE decry 'barbaric act'

(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.

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

[lightblue]

Hardly unexpected considering they are the US's allies in the region

[Drake Tungsten]

Where's Kuwait then? Or Bahrain? Or Qatar? All better U.S. allies than these three...

[Ted Striker]

Finally

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
This is unexpected, but welcome. Urge to kill, fading...

Three Arab states condemn American's beheading

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE decry 'barbaric act'

(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.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/...erg/index.html

[Kuciwalker]

Didn't that just get posted?

[Drake Tungsten]

Didn't that just get posted?

I don't think so. And don't question Ted, punk.

[Spiffor]

Good to see these reactions.

Now what I'd really love to see is polls. I'm pretty sure the average Iraqi considers the torure in Abu Graihb far worse than the beheading. I wonder what a poll would say about it.

[Harovan]

I'm not sure about this. Torture is (as cruel as it sounds) an integral part of the islamic law system. What put Iraqis in outrage is not the torture itself, but the humiliation, that it was done by infidels.

[Spiffor]

I don't know. I think they have been far more sensitive to the symbolic aspect of the torture (making people naked, simulate sex etc.) than by actual physical violence. They have suffered from physical violence under Saddam and they are used to it. But the kind of mental torture brought by the Americans is something new, and I expect something they hate much more.

I personally expect many Iraqis to believe the beheading is far less offensive than what has been done in Abu Graihb.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
Okay, to take this in a different direction.

The guy who claimed to be al-Zarqawi also denounced Pakistan and Musharaff in this video.

What that tells me is that Al Queda is feeling the heat in their Paki hideouts.

They've been denouncing Musharaff since he cozied up with the US after 9/11.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
This is unexpected, but welcome. Urge to kill, fading...

I told you this already.