EXCLUSIVE: Nick Berg's Father Speaks Out

I believe we can all remember when the news of Nick Bergs execution came out of Iraq. Since his death, his father Michael Berg, has often spoke out about his son and his anger for the Bush Administration. Last night he spoke in my town, which is about ten minutes from where Nick grew up and lived.



The most widely viewed thread on ATS to date, and one of the most atrocious events of the war in Iraq, Michael Berg keeps his sons memory alive.

"You have to know my son to know why he was in Iraq," said Berg. "He'd been to Africa on three separate occasions, and he came home from there leaving a good portion of his body weight there, his tools and his heart.

He explains the events surrounding his murder, including his detainment, which he claims he was held without 'Due Process'. He also explained the investigation of Nick in 2002 regarding his affiliation with Al-Qaeda. Nick had been questioned by the FBI for giving his email password to some Iraqi students, of which he said "thats what college kids do".

He spoke of the upcoming election, relating President Bush to Saddam Hussein. To me he was making a correlation to the Abu-Garhib prison scandal, and the carnage that Saddam had created in Iraq. He had voted third party in the last election and wouldn't waste a vote this time, and is going with John Kerry.

All in all it was pretty somber when he was speaking about Nick's murder. There was about 55 people there that I counted and was unfortunate to obtain an interview with him myself.





Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
WAR: Video Shows Beheading of American Civilian Nick Berg by Al Qaeda Group
WAR: Comprehensive Index of AboveTopSecret.com Coverage of the Nick Berg Beheading

[edit on 9-16-2004 by Valhall]

Originally posted by TrickmastertricK
All in all it was pretty somber when he was speaking about Nick's murder. There was about 55 people there that I counted and was unfortunate to obtain an interview with him myself.

You were there!? That must have been quite emotional. Thank you for bringing this exclusive account to us.

Did you talk much to any of the other attendees? Or get of sense of the press reaction (if in attendance at all)?

Originally posted by RANT
You were there!? That must have been quite emotional. Thank you for bringing this exclusive account to us.

Did you talk much to any of the other attendees? Or get of sense of the press reaction (if in attendance at all)?

It was small and quaint. There was a Democratic Comittee Meeting scheduled right after his speech. The only comments I heard were sorrounding his description of the events leading up to his murder. Press core that I saw was only local news, he is doing an interview with German National Television on Sunday, then will be doing something for 20/20 which should be aired in October. I had to scoot out pretty fast for other obligations, so I did not mingle so much with people. He did however spend some time with the people that were there, seemed like a genuine person that was very obtainable to the people.

I just remember the hours and hours I spent, as well as others on here, picking apart the Video. One person I did talk to did not see the video itself. I just can't imagine the reality he deals with on a daily basis. The thing for me is that this is very close to home, about 10-15 miles close, as to their residence from mine.

Nick Berg was not a soldier or a member of a US mission. He was a civilian businessman who decided, on his own, to go there so as to spread his own views on business. While in Iraq he was advised, by US officials, that it would be in his best interest to leave immediately.

Bush did not send him to Iraq, and Bush's government suggested that he leave when he got there. It is therefore NOT Bush's fault that Berg died. It is simply absurd for Berg's father to blame Bush for his son's death. Berg got himself into trouble and took his life into his own hands. Blaming Bush for someone else's choices is just low and absurd.

If anyone other than Berg himself can be blamed it is the father, actually. How was Bush supposed to exert more control over his son than he was capable of? If we're going to blame Bush for the death of someone he had no control over than we should also blame Berg senior for failing in his paternal responsibilities.

I feel for the fathers pain, but his son was a grown man
who made his own choices. It looks like his father is
using this situation to further a rabid leftwing agenda.
Sounds cold ... but that's what it looks like. He has
my sympathy. I'm sure that it's difficult for any parent
to loose a child, even when that child is a full grown
man who dies because of the choices he himself made.

I can't even put what happened to Nick Berg in words. If you have seen the video, your hatred should be against these murders that did this to him, not George Bush.

That is why I have to agree with last few posts. This is not George Bush's fault and to bring this out just before the elections is interesting. The fact that it was *just* before a Democratic Comittee Meeting is intersting aswell. Is the Berg being paid by the Democrates, and how would electing Kerry make him feel any better? If Kerry is elected i will more scared of my personal saftey her in America, G.W. is the man for defense.

Here is the thing I am gathering from this. The Original reason for going to war has not shown up, which is "Stockpiles of WMD's". Whether they have been moved into Syria, or wherever remains to be seen. Just yesterday info was leaked that Saddam did not have "Stockpiles" of these weapons. The whole report has not been released or talked about, only in relation to WMD's. This is coming from Bush's people, not an outside independant investigation. We all see on a daily basis, reports of intense fighting, people killed, and there has not been any let-up. Kofi Anin has said that this war was illegal. Yet we will never get to the bottom of this whole thing.

His son was killed by the hands of Militants, which may or may not have happened if We did not invade Iraq. He might not have even been in Iraq, had he not wanted to try to help the rebuilding process. He had a scheduled flight out of Iraq, but was detained by Iraqi police before that flight was suppose to have taken place. He was then given to the FBI, and hours after his release is when he was kidnapped. The rest is History and speculation.

He is not the only parent, just yesterday a woman interupted Mrs. Bush's speech asking why he killed her son. He has made numerous speeches since his sons death. I believe it is only making news now because of the election. He made it apparent that he was not going to waste a vote for a third party, and that the Bush Admin needed to get out of The White House. The only other person that can logically beat Bush, is Kerry. He is trying to talk to voters that have not yet made up there mind, IMHO. He is PRO-Kerry. IMHO.

Nobody knows what he went, and is going through. Unless you have lost a child or loved one due to this war.

Does anyone also realize how thin stretched the National Guard, and Reserves are in the US? More than half are now in Iraq. Pretty soon only First Responders will be the only ones available in the event of another 9-11 or worse. How is that for defending the country? It was proven that we can be attacked on US soil, how will be left to defend the Actual soil we all live on?

I wish this would not turn into a politcal debate, but it seems as though it cant be pushed aside.

For the record again, I dislike both Bush and Kerry. So I am not in any way defending Kerry, or pushing for him to be elected.

i dont understand this guys at all...

his son went into iraq to get work, the govt recommends he leaves, he decides not to...

so he gets murdered, which is horrible...

now his father has decided to go political gunhoe like he will make a difference, and slam bush for w/e, imo hes just histerical...

i dont like bush, i dont like kerry, and this guy is just as politically backwards as them.

"my son got his head cut off in iraq, thus i know all, see all, and will tell all and have been filled with political correctness"

mabye he should start by fixing his family before he trys to fix the country, which im sure there still grieving.

what happened to nick was awful, but this father is just making things worse imo.

Originally posted by Zach
i dont understand this guys at all...

his son went into iraq to get work, the govt recommends he leaves, he decides not to...

so he gets murdered, which is horrible...

Have you read anything I posted in here? He had a flight booked at the recomendation of the US in Iraq, but he was detained by Iraqi Police before he was obviously able to get on that flight. It was only hours after he was released by the FBI that he was kidnapped.

I think the thing people are missing is that his agenda was to use his expertise in helping rebuidl Iraq, that is the whole mission of this war, is it not? Many independant contractors have gone to Iraq to help and find work. He was not the only one, and is not the only one to have been murdered. He did not 'pick up arms' to fight. That is the difference I think some are failing to see, IMHO. These militants have shown time and time again that they capture, and sometimes more than not, murder these people. Most are there to help them Rebuild "THEIR" country, not Pick up a gun and fight against them. These militants continue to use these people, who are not involved in actual fighting, as a bargaining piece for the exit of their perticular country from Iraq.

Trick, I agree with your last statement and, for brevity's sake, I wish to focus on that topic and say a few things about it. I'm going to try to ignore the persuasive and perhaps misleading statements of both democrats and republicans, and base my argument on logic and reason.

You said the militants have repeatedly captured and murdered people, often civilians from countries involved somehow with "rebuilding" Iraq. They do this to exert internal pressure in these countries, in the form of public opinion, with the goal of forcing the countries to withdraw their personnel from Iraq.

This much, no one will disagree on. Where things get distorted, is where the blame for the deaths is placed. A great number of people believe that since these militants are killing hostages, and then saying that they killed them because of the actions of the particular country involved, that it logically follows that the country in question is responsible for these deaths. I think these people are guilty of simply thinking things through.

I'll give a scenario here to compare with the one above. I run a lemonade stand. This angers a few people, so they kidnap the children who pick the lemons and threaten to cut their heads off if I don't shut down my stand. Well, I am firmly committed to selling lemonade, so I refuse to shut down, and the angry people proceed to chop heads off. Is it reasonable to say that I caused these deaths, by selling lemonade? Hardly so.

I know lemonade stands don't substitute well with the situation in Iraq, but the hypothetical point has been made. Let's insert another, more relevant cause, like expulsion of the Infidel crusaders from Muslim lands. Now it's a workable model.

I won't go any further with this, but I wish to leave one thought. In my own opinion, the group of people responsible for these killings for the most part, represent parties based outside of Iraq. They latched onto the Iraq situation as a means, partly justified, of stirring up anti-American sentiment in the Arab, and the world, populace.

They are, however, not indicative, not absolutely indicative, of the entire population of Iraq. Most of these people just want to live their lives without this huge ass pain they've got now.

It's good that now we know that the Nick Burg's execution wasn't faked. There have been several conspiracies here on A.T.S which tried to prove that the video wasn't exactly true. From what Nick Berg's father said, he obviously has a terrible understanding about politics; as he voted for Nader when he should've voted for Kerry if he didn't want to vote Republican.

Originally posted by NWObringer
It's good that now we know that the Nick Burg's execution wasn't faked. There have been several conspiracies here on A.T.S which tried to prove that the video wasn't exactly true.

Unless I missed something, I fail to see how Nick Berg's father's commentary sheds any light on whether or not the murder was faked.

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace

Originally posted by NWObringer
It's good that now we know that the Nick Burg's execution wasn't faked. There have been several conspiracies here on A.T.S which tried to prove that the video wasn't exactly true.

Unless I missed something, I fail to see how Nick Berg's father's commentary sheds any light on whether or not the murder was faked.

I agree on that in point. The question about the video and it's anomolies was whether he might have been dead already when they "Murdered him" in the Video. His body was found "decapitated", so he was indeed Murdered.