Family of beheaded US hostage seeks closure and clarity

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U.S. National - AFP
AFP
Family of beheaded US hostage seeks closure and clarity

6 minutes ago
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NEW YORK (AFP) - The family of Nicholas Berg, the US hostage beheaded by Islamic radicals in Iraq (news - web sites), prepared for a memorial service as they searched for clarification of the circumstances leading to his grisly murder.

A private service for family and friends was scheduled for Friday afternoon at a synagogue just north of West Chester, Pennsylvania, where the Berg family lives.

Earlier this week, a grainy video on an Islamist website linked to the al-Qaeda terror network showed Berg, 26, being decapitated with a large knife by a group of masked men who claimed their action was in retaliation for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

"The al-Qaeda that killed my son didn't know what they were doing," Berg's father, Michael, told CNN Thursday. "They killed their best friend. Nick was there to build Iraq, not to tear it down. He was there to help people, not to hurt anyone."

<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040513/ts_alt_afp/iraq_us_beheading_family&cid=1506&ncid=1480>

As, obviously, was his son.

government speak up.

There are many well-meaning people in our country who don't dare get involved.