An al Qaeda-linked Web site shows decapitation of American in Iraq
By Wolf Blitzer
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Web site linked to al Qaeda showed on Tuesday a tape of a man who identified himself as a U.S. civilian being beheaded, and says Americans should be prepared to receive more coffins.
The tape begins with Nicholas Berg stating his name, the names of his parents and siblings and his hometown -- West Chester, Pennsylvania -- near Philadelphia.
According to the Associated Press, the 26-year-old Berg owned a company that built, maintained and inspected communications towers.
His parents say he had been missing since April 9.
On the tape, Berg is shown sitting in front of five hooded men -- one of whom reads a statement referring directly to the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison. He says his group offered to exchange Berg for some of the detainees in Abu Ghraib -- but he says U.S. officials refused.
He then says, "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."
Then Berg is pushed to the floor and killed. His severed head is later displayed to the camera.
Berg's body was found Monday in Baghdad. Berg's family had already been informed of his murder and knew he had been decapitated, but they did not learn details of the gruesome videotape until Tuesday.
The Web site says Abu Musab al-Zarqawi carried out the execution, but CNN staff members familiar with Zarqawi's voice say the voice on the tape does not match his. Zarqawi is the leader of an Islamist terrorist group that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on coalition forces in Iraq.
