NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Nick Berg

Nicholas Berg (April 2, 1978 – May 7, 2004) was an American businessman seeking telecommunications work in Iraq during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. He was abducted and later beheaded in May 2004 by militants. The CIA claimed that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi personally beheaded Berg.^[1] April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... Copy of the original phone of Alexander Graham Bell at the MusÃ©e des Arts et MÃ©tiers in Paris Telecommunication is the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... This article deals with the post-invasion period in Iraq and its occupation. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Wikinews has news related to: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in airstrike Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Arabic: , , Translation: Father of Musab from Zarqa) (October 20, 1966 â€“ June 7, 2006) was a Jordanian born Palestinian who ran a militant training camp in Afganistan alongside Osama bin Laden. ...

The decapitation, the first of a series of such killings of foreign hostages in Iraq, received worldwide attention because it was videotaped, and the footage was subsequently released on the Internet, reportedly from a Malaysian homepage by the Islamic organization al-Ansars. His killers claimed that his death was carried out to avenge abuses of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison. Berg's father, Michael Berg, unsuccessfully ran for Congress in Delaware as the Green Party candidate on an anti-war platform and blames George W. Bush for his son's death. Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head), or beheading, is the removal of a living organisms head. ... On May 11, 2004, the website of the militant Islamist group Muntada al-Ansar broadcast a video titled Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown slaughtering an American, which shows the American citizen Malaysia, was then immediately shut down. ... {{{mWf}}} Caution: This article contains several potentially morbid photographs that depict nude, abused, and deceased persons. ... Map of Iraq highlighting Abu Ghraib Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse images The Abu Ghraib prison (Arabic: Ø³Ø¬Ù† Ø£Ø¨Ùˆ ØºØ±ÙŠØ¨; also Abu Ghurayb) is in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city 32 km (20 mi) west of Baghdad. ... Michael Berg, a retired teacher and longtime antiwar activist, is a candidate for Congress from the state of Delaware, running on the Green Party ticket. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Official language(s) None Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Area Ranked 49th - Total 2,491 sq mi (6,452 kmÂ²) - Width 30 miles (48 km) - Length 100 miles (161 km) - % water 21. ... In American politics, the Green Party is a third party which has been active in some areas since the 1980s, but first gained widespread public attention for Ralph Naders presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

Early life

Berg was a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, where he owned his own company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. He inspected and rebuilt communication antennas, and had previously visited Kenya and Uganda on similar projects. Town center of West Chester. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area Ranked 33rd - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (455 km) - Length 160 miles (255 km) - % water 2. ... Housing subdivision near Union, Kentucky, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area - City 369. ... A Yagi-Uda beam antenna Short Wave Curtain Antenna (Moosbrunn, Austria) A building rooftop supporting numerous dish and sectored mobile telecommunications antennas (Doncaster, Victoria, Australia) An antenna or aerial is a transducer designed to transmit or receive radio waves which are a class of electromagnetic waves. ...

Berg attended West Chester Henderson High School, where he received a diploma in 1996. Berg attended four universities: Cornell, Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Oklahoma. While at the University of Oklahoma, according to Nickberg.org, Berg developed a "paper brick" that was to be the precursor to his "Bovl Block" pressed construction blocks. He once traveled to Kitende, Uganda to help a village, by among other things teaching villagers how to make Bovl Blocks, a modular concrete block Berg invented for use in tower construction where steel is not readily available or is cost-prohibitive. In addition, Berg set up a subsidiary of his company, Prometheus Tower Services, Inc., in Kenya.^[2] Henderson High School is named after B. Reed Henderson, and is one of three high schools in the West Chester Area School District. ... Cornell University is a private university located in Ithaca, New York, USA. Its two medical campuses are in New York City and Education City, Qatar. ... Drexel University is an institution of higher learning located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... This article is about the private Ivy League university in Philadelphia. ... University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a coeducational public research university located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma founded in 1890. ...

Travels and detention

Berg traveled to Iraq in the hope of helping to repair its damaged infrastructure. He first arrived in Iraq on December 21, 2003, and made arrangements to secure contract work for his company. He also went to the northern city of Mosul, visiting an Iraqi man whose brother had been married to Berg's late aunt. Leaving on February 1, he returned to Iraq on March 14, 2004, only to find that the work he was promised was unavailable. Throughout his time in Iraq, he maintained frequent contact with his family in the United States by telephone and e-mail. December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tigris River and bridge in Mosul Mosul (Arabic: â€Ž , Kurdish: MÃ»sil, Syriac: NÃ®nÄ›wÃ¢, Turkish: Musul) is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of Ninawa Governorate. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Berg had intended to return to the United States on March 30, 2004, but he was detained in Mosul on March 24 by Iraqi police at a checkpoint. His family claims he was turned over to U.S. officials and held for 13 days without access to legal counsel. FBI agents visited his parents to confirm his identity on March 31, but he was not immediately released. After his parents filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia on April 5, claiming that he was being held illegally, he was released from custody. He said that he had not been mistreated during his confinement. The U.S. maintains that at no time was Berg in coalition custody, but rather that he was held by Iraqi forces. The Mosul police deny they ever arrested Berg, and Berg's family has turned over an email from the U.S. consul stating "I have confirmed that your son, Nick, is being detained by the U.S. military in Mosul."^[3] According to the Associated Press, Berg was released from custody on April 6 and advised by U.S. officials to take a flight out of Iraq, with their assistance. Berg is said to have refused this offer and traveled to Baghdad, where he stayed at the Al Fanar Hotel. His family last heard from him on April 9. Berg had his last contact with U.S. officials on April 10 and did not return again to his hotel after that date. Berg was interviewed for filmmaker Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11.^[4] Moore chose not to use the footage of his interview with Berg, but instead shared it with Berg's family following his death. March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (90th in leap years). ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), serving as both a federal criminal investigative body and a domestic intelligence agency. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... The Al-Fanar Hotel is a hotel in Baghdad, Iraq. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American political-activist, a film director, author, social commentator, and political humorist. ... Fahrenheit 9/11 is an award-winning documentary film by American filmmaker Michael Moore, which had a general release in the United States and Canada on June 25, 2004. ...

Disappearance

Berg's family became concerned after not hearing from him for several days. Although a U.S. State Department investigator looked into Berg's disappearance, official government inquiries produced no leads. Berg's family, frustrated with what they say was a lack of action by the U.S. government, also hired a private investigator and contacted both their Congressional delegation and the Red Cross in search of information. The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... A private investigator, private detective, PI, or private eye, is a person who undertakes investigations, usually for a private citizen or some other entity not involved with a government or police organization. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican... The Anarchist Black Cross was originally called the Anarchist Red Cross. The band Redd Kross was originally called Red Cross. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Death

Berg's body was found decapitated on May 8, 2004 on a Baghdad overpass by a U.S. military patrol. Berg's family was informed of his death on May 10. Military sources stated publicly at that time that Berg's body showed "signs of trauma", but did not disclose that he had been decapitated. May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (129th in leap years). ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In medicine, a trauma patient has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury resulting in secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death. ...

On May 11, 2004, the website of the militant group Muntada al-Ansar^[5] posted a video with the opening title of "Abu Musa'b al-Zarqawi slaughters an American", which shows Berg being decapitated. Al-Zarqawi had an association with the Al-Qaida movement as does Muntada al-Ansar. The video is about five and a half minutes long. May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (132nd in leap years). ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... On May 11, 2004, the website of the militant Islamist group Muntada al-Ansar broadcast a video titled Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown slaughtering an American, which shows the American citizen Nick Berg being decapitated. ... Video (Latin for I see, first person singular present, indicative of videre, to see) is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion. ...

Berg is seen in the video wearing an orange jumpsuit. He identified himself: "My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Susan. I have a brother and sister, David and Sarah. I live in West Chester, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia." Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

The video shows Berg surrounded by five men wearing ski masks and head scarves. A lengthy statement is read aloud. The statement says that Berg's killing was in direct retaliation for the abuse of prisoners by U.S. troops at Abu Ghraib prison. The masked men then converge on Berg and decapitate him with a knife. A scream can be heard as men shout "Allahu Akbar." This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

On May 13, news outlets quoted a CIA source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, that a voice analysis of the tape has led the agency to conclude that the masked man who reads the statement and carries out the killing is "with high probability" Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Wikinews has news related to: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in airstrike Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Arabic: , , Translation: Father of Musab from Zarqa) (October 20, 1966 â€“ June 7, 2006) was a Jordanian born Palestinian who ran a militant training camp in Afganistan alongside Osama bin Laden. ...

During the video, the man reading the statement threatens further deaths: "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 further threatens U.S. President George W. Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…Ø§Ù†, Turkish: MÃ¼slÃ¼man, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... {{{mWf}}} Caution: This article contains several potentially morbid photographs that depict nude, abused, and deceased persons. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is the self-aware essence unique to a particular living being. ... An open casket A coffin (in North American English, also known as a casket, although the design is different - coffins taper towards the feet while caskets remain the same width) is a funerary box used in the display and containment of deceased remains -- either for burial or cremation. ... The presidential seal was first used in 1880 by President Rutherford B. Hayes and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... The President of Pakistan (UrdÅ«: ØµØ¯Ø± Ù…Ù…Ù„Ú©Øª Sadr-e-Mamlikat) is Head of State of Pakistan. ... Pervez Musharraf (Urdu: Ù¾Ø±ÙˆÙŠØ² Ù…Ø´Ø±Ù) (born August 10, 1943), is the President of Pakistan, the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army and the fourth Pakistani General to govern the country in the wake of a coup. ...

The video bears some similarities to the videotape showing the murder and decapitation of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002. Like Pearl, Berg was Jewish, although it is uncertain whether his captors were aware of that. There are many differences noted with other decapitation videos, including the decapitation video of Paul Johnson in Saudi Arabia and the video of Kim Sun-il in Iraq. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with a worldwide average daily circulation of more than 2. ... Daniel Pearl (October 10, 1963 â€“ February 1, 2002) was an American journalist who was kidnapped and murdered in Karachi, Pakistan. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr. ... Kim Sun-il (September 13, 1970 â€“ June 22, 2004) was a South Korean translator working in Iraq for Gana General Trading Company, a South Korean company under contract to the U.S. military. ...

Claimed link to Zacarias Moussaoui

On May 14, it was revealed that Nick Berg had been investigated during the U.S. government's investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui. Berg's email address had been used by Moussaoui prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks. According to Berg's father, Nick Berg had a chance encounter with an acquaintance of Moussaoui on a bus in Norman, Oklahoma. This person had asked to borrow Berg's laptop computer to send an email. Berg gave the details of his own email account and password, which were later used by Moussaoui. The FBI found that Berg had no direct terrorism connections or direct link with Moussaoui.^[6] This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11â€”pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... Bizzell Library, University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma, is the county seat and largest city in Cleveland County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... Laptop with touchpad. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

Arrests and confessions

On May 14, citing "Iraq Sources", Sky News reported that four people had been arrested for the murder. Two were later released after questioning. Sky News is a 24-hour British domestic and international television news and sports-news channel that started broadcasting on 16 February 1989 as part of the then four-channel Sky Television service. ...

On August 5th, Le Nouvel Observateur published a feature story by Sara Daniel^[7] detailing her meeting with one Abu Rashid, a leader of the mujahadeen council in Fallujah. He claims that he killed Nick Berg, Kim Sun-il and Iraqis who collaborated with the American forces. He also states that they attempted a prisoner exchange with Nick Berg and were rebuffed by the U.S. government. Le Nouvel Observateur (often shorten to Le Nouvel Obs) is a weekly French newsmagazine. ... This article is about the city of Fallujah in Iraq. ... Kim Sun-il (September 13, 1970 â€“ June 22, 2004) was a South Korean translator working in Iraq for Gana General Trading Company, a South Korean company under contract to the U.S. military. ...

Conspiracy theories

There is controversy over the identity of the alleged killers and the circumstances surrounding the killing.

Al Jazeera, in an article entitled Bloggers doubt Berg execution video[1], and other websites and mainstream news media outside the USA including the Sydney Morning Herald and Asia Times, point out what they say are inconsistencies in the video, including: Al Jazeera logo Al Jazeera (الجزيرة), meaning The Island or The (Arabian) Peninsula (whence also Algiers) is an Arabic television channel based in Qatar. ... ... Asia Times Online is an Internet-only publication that reports and examines geopolitical, political, economic and business issues, looking at these from an Asian perspective. ...

Contents