NFB - Nick Berg

[TraceZ]

I'm going to vent a little... I wish I had more answers. This is the way I see it as of now, with the limited info I have.


I wanna know why he was there. A regular joe... behind enemy lines, during a war. What was his business? Did his parents tell him that might not be the smartest place to go? I would forbid my son from doing something like that, even if he was in his 20s. It is practically suicide.

He *had* to have a serious reason to go. Was he some sort of secret agent? Did he go to help the enemy? Did he seriously think he could help the Iraqi people better than the thousands that are already there specifically trained and protected to do so??

Asking these questions may seem cold to the family, but what type of person just decides it would be a good idea to go to a place like that? What was he thinking? His decision got him killed. He had no business being there... no training. Our military has that situation under control, let them handle it. There is no room for civilians to wander around in Iraq.

Ugh. Now look at what a mess it has created.
Here is a message to all American civilians... please, for the love of God, stay the heck away from Iraq!! You'll just make things worse!!

[Dave M]

TracZ, there are tens of thousands of contractors in Iraq helping to rebuild what WE destroyed, and giving them some things they never had in the first place. Berg was there to build communication towers. There are also thousands of civilians acting as security. there are numerous companies that will train you and arm you and send you over. They pay about $200,000/year for the work, you're usually there about a year, and it's tax free since you're out of the country. Several people from my work have looked into going.

This is not unique to Iraq, it has happened after every conflict we've fought. Would I do it? Heck no, but it needs to be done.

[Black97]

First of all I don't think the army has it under control and I think we shouldn't have gone there in the first place.

I travelled a great deal for a while for my work. I always stayed away from hot spots and would have never gone to a war zone.

Not even for a million bucks.

Where there's money, there are people that will go for it. And I'm sure this incident will not deter anybody from going there nor will they decide to leave. The lure of the money and adventure is too great.

Dave, what are we giving them that they never had besides freedom from Sadam? Iraq isn't a third world country that doesn't have anything. Just curious.

[TraceZ]

Originally posted by Dave M
TracZ, there are tens of thousands of contractors in Iraq helping to rebuild what WE destroyed, and giving them some things they never had in the first place. Berg was there to build communication towers. There are also thousands of civilians acting as security. there are numerous companies that will train you and arm you and send you over. They pay about $200,000/year for the work, you're usually there about a year, and it's tax free since you're out of the country. Several people from my work have looked into going.

This is not unique to Iraq, it has happened after every conflict we've fought. Would I do it? Heck no, but it needs to be done.

Thanks for the info. I read 3 articles on him today, and not once did anyone mention why he was there. An article in Foxnew quoted a government official that actually elluded to not knowing his business there, and said he didnt think it was proper to discuss the questions about his business there at this time of loss for his family..

It sounds like a very risky job. He must have been desperate for money to even consider it. He was braver than I would have been.

[TraceZ]

Originally posted by Black97
Not even for a million bucks.

Agreed.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Re: NFB - Nick Berg

Originally posted by TraceZ

His decision got him killed.

It may not have been a smart thing for him to do but any decision a person makes should NOT have the consequences of someone else killing you because they don't like your race, religion, way of life, or any other reason.

I agree with Neal Boortz. If a person is convicted of murder, they should die the same way they murdered the person they killed. Right now there is no death penalty in Iraq. The people that killed Nick know that. The chances of catching them is not very good. If we/Iraqi officials catch them, they won't be put to death for this hideous crime. They should be and it should be done in downtown Baghdad. The only things these animals understand is strength. Show them a weakness and they will exploit it. And our lovely media is all to willing to help them along with the group of appeasers in Washington who want to handle this as a police action and issue arrest warrants. Remember Vietnam wasn't a war. It was a "police action" (BS) and we know how that turned out. What a crock.

Like it or not, it is kill or be killed. That is their decision not ours.

Keep in mind there are still 28 people missing in Iraq.

[TraceZ]

Re: Re: NFB - Nick Berg

Originally posted by Jeff 95 Z28
It may not have been a smart thing for him to do but any decision a person makes should NOT have the consequences of someone else killing you because they don't like your race, religion, way of life, or any other reason.

I didnt say he deserved it, I just said it got him killed. It really sucks.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Re: Re: Re: NFB - Nick Berg

Originally posted by TraceZ
I didnt say he deserved it, I just said it got him killed. It really sucks.

I know what you mean but when you say it like that, the inference is that he decided to go there, going there got him killed, therefore, he decided to get himself killed.

He was murdered by a bunch of thugs and they did it in the most horrific way they possible could. If the US were to do something like this the world would be outraged and calling for Bush's impeachment and brought up on murder charges. It would be all over the front page just like the prison scandal. Where is the outrage from the middle east. Where is the outrage from our "friends" from France, Germany, Russia, and Canada.

[fastTa]

Originally posted by Black97
.....Dave, what are we giving them that they never had besides freedom from Sadam? Iraq isn't a third world country that doesn't have anything. Just curious.

Iraq may not be considered a third world country by a generic economic perspective, but the vast majority of it's people have lived under "third world" conditions for quite some time!

Freeing them from Saddam is only the tip of the iceberg. We are essentially bringing them into the technolgically and economically advanced world that they have been suppressed from for a long time.

We are improving their public water systems.
We are improving their public waste management.
We are building and improving some of their gas power plants in order to provide the additional electricity needed for their expected economic growth.
We are rebuilding and upgrading all of the major power grids.
We are building and installing large backup power generators for backup power in the future.
We are providing tons of their people with free housing development plans and projects.
We are providing them with food.
We are building new government buildings.

etc., etc., etc.

Not to mention the 20+ Billion in funding to also help rebuild police forces, public and residential buidings, transportation, and communications.

What are we giving them they never had before??????

We are giving them life!!

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I have a dumb question. There are thousands of contractors in Iraq from all over the world. They are there to make money and to help people in need (to varying degrees). The truck driver that was snatched out of his truck by some Iraqi insurgents was making $80,000 a year. The unemployment rate in Iraq is over 50%. A cop in Iraq makes about $200 a month or $2,400 a year. A US cop that goes over there as a contractor probably makes $100,000 a year. Here's my question, why don't they hire Iraqis to do these jobs. I bet you could find one that would drive that truck for one tenth of what the contractor guy is making. Let them take the risks.

[Dave M]

Originally posted by Jeff 95 Z28
I have a dumb question. There are thousands of contractors in Iraq from all over the world. They are there to make money and to help people in need (to varying degrees). The truck driver that was snatched out of his truck by some Iraqi insurgents was making $80,000 a year. The unemployment rate in Iraq is over 50%. A cop in Iraq makes about $200 a month or $2,400 a year. A US cop that goes over there as a contractor probably makes $100,000 a year. Here's my question, why don't they hire Iraqis to do these jobs. I bet you could find one that would drive that truck for one tenth of what the contractor guy is making. Let them take the risks.

Jeff, it probably has to do for a number of reasons.... skill involved, american businesses not wanting to deal with the hassles of language, culture, etc.... and just plain old racism probably is mixed in there.

Black97, Fast TA hit the nail on the head. Iraq's infrastructure was in ruins. Their power plants were running at something like 15% of capacity because they were in such poor shape. Much of the country, even large cities like Baghdad were without power for 20 hours of the day.

I don't agree with the Iraq war, I don't think we should have been there. But now that we've destroyed it, I think we have an obligation to rebuild it and then get the heck out. Let them provide their own security and their own government. t's not our place to say what should and shouldn't be. Just my $.02

[TraceZ]

"The U.S. government warned Nicholas Berg to leave Iraq and offered him a flight out of the country, a month before his grisly beheading

Two e-mails he sent to his family and friends show he traveled widely and unguarded throughout Iraq, an unsafe practice rarely done by Westerners.

Shortly before Berg's disappearance, he was warned by the FBI that Iraq was too volatile a place for unprotected American civilians and that he could be harmed"

read the rest of the
story

So, it appears to me he is not one of the thousands of trained and guarded contractors working to rebuild Iraq. It looks like he was taking it upon himself to go where he pleased, without proper protection. He was taking unnecesary risks. Now my question is, why was he doing this?
Am I wrong?

[scottyz28]

Here is a Canadian reply that you requested. Yes, I believe these monsters should be treated the same way they treated Mr. Berg. I have seen the video of the murder and my blood instantly boiled. No matter what country you are from or what race you are, these types of actions are unforgivable and should be punished to no end. I don't know if any of you have seen this video, but I do not recommend it if you would like to keep your emotions under control. They think this tape will turn the Americans against their leaders simply because they blame you for everything wrong in their world. In my opinion, this should bring the U.S. closer together, as this is just one more example of these people showing no regard for innocent men and women who are there to help repair their country.
I am not speaking on behalf of Canada by any means, this is just my opinion and I am glad to have finally gotten a chance to vent to some people who can sympathize with me.

Scottyz28

[TraceZ]

Originally posted by scottyz28
Here is a Canadian reply that you requested. Yes, I believe these monsters should be trated the same way they treated Mr. Berg. I have seen the video of the murder and my blood instantly boiled. No matter what country you are from or what race you are, these types of actions are unforgivable and should be punished to no end. I don't know if any of you have seen this video, but I do not recommend it if you would like to keep your emotions under control. They think this tape will turn the Americans against their leaders simply because they blame you for everything wrong in their world. In my opinion, this should bring the U.S. closer together, as this is just one more example of these people showing no regard for innocent men and women who are there to help repair their country.
I am not speaking on behalh of Canada by any means, this is just my opinion and I am glad to have finally gotten a chance to vent to some people who can sympathize with me.

Scottyz28

Welcome to the forum. I'm going to D/L the video and see for myself.

[Bond Hawk]

This has backfired on the radicals that committed this horrific act. Muslim countries that were sympathetic to their cause have now backed away from supporting them because of this terrible crime.