Ever since he graduated from high school, Nick Berg lived a life of adventure. He took college classes at Cornell, Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma. He helped set up electronics equipment at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in 2000. He even made several trips to Third World Countries — at one point teaching villagers in Ghana how make bricks.
The reaction
An apparent videotape of Berg's beheading was aired on a Web site known to have ties with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. The tape also included threats against Bush and Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.
In Washington, word of the beheading reached the Senate as the Armed Services Committee was holding a hearing into the abuse of Iraqis at the Abu Ghraib prison.
"Senators ... are in a virtual state of shock about the beheading," said Sen. John Warner, R-Va., recalling earlier concerns that the prisoner abuse could lead to retaliation against Americans.
The media made a big splash with those Iraqi prisoner pictures and then warned of retaliation. They seemed to know that retaliation was going to be the result of their showing their photos, so it would follow that they bear at least a modicum of the responsibility for the beheading. Only, I have yet to read or hear any media introspection.
At some point you have to cease being a "newsman" and be a concerned "American" who is looking after your fellow citizens. The justification for all their "objective" reporting is that Americans deserve to know the truth. Do Americans deserve to die for their ratings?
UPDATE: More of the Nick Berg Story.
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