American beheaded on camera

2004-05-11 21:14

Cairo - A video posted on Tuesday on an Islamic militant website showed the beheading of an American civilian in Iraq.

It said the execution was carried out by an al-Qaeda affiliated group to avenge the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by United States soldiers.

The video showed five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks, standing over a bound man in an orange jumpsuit - similar to a prisoner's uniform - who identified himself as Nick Berg, a communications businessman whose body was found in Baghdad on Saturday.

After reading a statement, the men were seen pulling the man to his side and putting a large knife to his neck.

A scream sounded as the men cut his head off, shouting "Allahu Akbar!" - "God is great."

They then held the head out before the camera.

Didn't want it to become public

Berg's family said they knew their son had been decapitated, but didn't know the details of the killing.

"I knew he was decapitated before. That manner is preferable to a long and torturous death. But I didn't want it to become public," said Berg's father, Michael.

The men in the video said the killing was revenge against abuse and humiliation carried out by US guards at Abu Ghraib prison, just west of Baghdad.

"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the US administration to exchange this hostage with some of the detainees in Abu Ghraib and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.

"So we tell you that the dignity of the Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls.

"You will not receive anything from us, but coffins after coffins... slaughtered in this way."

The video bore the title Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown slaughtering an American.

It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi - an associate of Osama bin Laden - was shown in the video, or was claiming responsibility for ordering the execution.

"How can a free Muslim sleep well as he sees Islam slaughtered and its dignity bleeding, and the pictures of shame and the news of the devilish scorn of the people of Islam - men and women - in the prison of Abu Ghraib?" the speaker said on the video.

The website on which the video was posted, the Islamic Ansar Forum, is known as a clearing house for al-Qaeda and Islamic extremist groups' statements and tapes.

Berg's mother, Suzanne Berg, said her son was in Iraq as an independent businessman to help rebuild communication antennas. He had been missing since April 9, she said.

'Bush... expect severe days'

"He had this idea that he could help rebuild the infrastructure," she said.

In the video, the speaker threatened both US President George W Bush and Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf.

"As for you Bush... expect severe days.

"You and your soldiers will regret the day you stepped into the land of Iraq," he said.

He described Musharraf as "a traitor agent".

- AP