BERG MET WITH SHADY IRAQI (Berg's business partner was a Chalabi wannabe)

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/8684646.htm?1c

There's another strange new twist to the saga of Nick Berg and his final days of Iraq before his savage videotaped beheading. Berg teamed up in Baghdad with an ex-Philadelphia man who led a controversial group of Iraqi expatriates encouraged by the U.S. government - even as he faced deportation for his role in Russian-emigre crime ring selling millions of vials used for crack.

Aziz Kadoory Aziz, also known as Aziz al-Taee, hooked up earlier this year with the 26-year-old West Chester man to start a small company called Shirikat Abraj Babil, or Babylon Towers Co., that would install, inspect and repair telecommunications and utility towers. In interviews with several news organizations in Baghdad, Aziz claimed he may have been the last friend to speak with Berg before his kidnapping and beheading by terrorists possibly linked to the al Qaeda network. The radio-tower contractor had come back to Baghdad after a 13-day detainment in Mosul, only to disappear again on April 10.

Aziz said that on April 10 Berg "surprised me by calling me at 9 or 10, to say that he found some friend to travel with to Jordan." Berg said he was en route, but Aziz doesn't know who he was with or what kind of vehicle they were driving. "He said they were nice people. I told him to have a nice trip."

After living in Philadelphia for two decades, Aziz arrived in Baghdad sometime last year. A friend said he left for Iraq before the government moved on the deportation case.

Here in America, Aziz was the highly visible spokesman for a group he'd founded called the Iraqi American Council and appeared frequently on major media outlets like Fox News Channel calling for the military ouster of Saddam Hussein. Aziz' outfront role also included speaking at pre-war, pro-troop rallies. It continued even after it was reported the inner-city electronic entrepreneur had pleaded guilty in the crack-vial case in 1994 and later had legal run-ins involving stolen computers and bootlegged CDs.

Bill Bunch breaks another HUGE story!

even as he faced deportation for his role in Russian-emigre crime ring selling millions of vials used for crack.


Ok-- wasn't it mentioned somewhere regarding Russian being used in the tape-- folks passed it off as Chechyns.

Just wondering.

Not sure how true that is.

Don

The terrorists in Berg's beheading video are communicating to each other in Russian ! One of them tells to the executioner who was cutting Berg's head: "Davay pozhivee!" meaning "Do it quicker!", or "Hurry up!" in pure unaccented Russian. Initially, I thought I was the only one who noticed it, but other Russian speakers confirmed it as well independently from me. So, who actually killed Berg ? BTW, "Allah o Akbar" they pronounce not with Arabic, but with a Russian-like accent. Also, their demeanor was not Arabic at all, but resembles that of people from the North Caucasus.

I'm beginning to think that he or she was WAY ahead of the curve on this.

I was suspecting some Russian Mafia connection...

I had a link... I'll look it up. Nevermind someone covered it.

The mention of a "Russian-emigre crime ring selling millions of vials used for crack" set off alarm bells, because much of the drug-smuggling trade is largely in the hands of the Israeli Mafia -- and many of them are apparently Russian emigrants.

So I Googled a little on that 1994 case and found widespread mentions of a man named Sam Zhadanov, who was sent to prison despite denying that he knew what the vials he was manufacturing were used for, and who became something of a cause celebre among the libertarian right. See, for example, http://reason.com/9505/JACOB.may.shtml

I can't tell for sure, but the names mentioned do sound Russian-Jewish rather than Russian. I also found a page saying that most of the Russian emigrants in the Philadelphia area are Jewish.

I don't want to make too much of something where I have no hard evidence, but there have been a lot of fluky goings-on lately that seem to involve the Israeli Mafia. They're heavily involved in the corruption surrounding Sharon's government. They control much of the drug-smuggling trade here and are becoming highly visible in Las Vegas. They seem to be behind the many strange stories involving Israeli moving firms.

I have no idea what Berg may have been up to -- but this new story is one more that seems to point simultaneously to Iraq and Israel in a manner that almost defies comprehension. Perhaps Chalabi's own Israeli connections might shed some light on it.

eom

reading a recent interview with Sybil Edmonds, the FBI translator who tried to blow the whistle but is now having problems with our govt. She was under a gag order and could not say a whole lot, but she alluded to people in very high places did not want the truth out and I got the impression it involved illegal activities such as drugs.

From what I recall, Israeli intelligence may be involved in the Abu Ghraib scandal.

They're also teaching our soldiers collective punishment tactics.

Notice how some news stories will mention countries with intelligence people in Iraq, but always add "and other nationals" or somesuch. They never mention Israel if they can help it.

I think we can all imagine why they'd keep quiet on the fact that Israel has people inside Iraq. And let's not forget Cheney's little "war will benefit Israel" speech.

That's how the evidence points, at least to me. There are some serious questions that need answering, NOW.

Firearms experts have stated the AK-47 carried by one man was a
"Gilal." This actually is an Israeli-made weapon that improves on the famous AK- 47.

Got this via email. However, this is single sourced, and not documented by comparing pictures.

Anyone with the appropriate knowledge base care to comment?

and more. What a sad time when nothing is as it appears and our government is SO evil that you must not believe a word they say. Question EVERYTHING!

I've been thinking the answer to the Berg mystery might be right in front of everybody's faces.

So Berg's "friend" and "benefactor" Aziz orchestrated Berg's "chance encounter" with these "nice people"--? Will this story gain legs? Here's hoping--but of course the CIA already declared the dead and/or legless al-Zarqawi the murderer and has closed the case.

He indicated on his show last night that something doesn't add up. He is traveling to Iraq soon, perhaps he will get *some* information?

Granted I am certain he doesn't have the same suspicions some of us do, but he may start stirring the pot?

looks like he's the front man for the GOP and it's policies for taking the US to war.


WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- In the wake of controversy surrounding photographs of the alleged abuse of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison, Talon News is asking the White House to release images of Saddam Hussein's torture chambers.

As reported in a Talon News story in March 2003, the regime of the deposed dictator operated "rape rooms" where the sexual abuse of women was videotaped in order to humiliate them and their families. Acts of torture, mutilation, and murder were photographed and shown to Iraqis in order to intimidate or terrorize them.


~snip~

Last year, Aziz al-Taee, chairman of the Iraqi-American Council told Talon News about some of the atrocities he had seen. He spoke of how his cousin was tortured and murdered by Iraqi officials after which his mutilated body was returned to his mother with a bill for the bullets used to kill him. She was threatened with execution if she dared to hold a funeral service for her son.

Other survivors described electrocution, the burning of suspects alive, public beheadings, the dragging of bodies through the streets, amputation, and branding as methods of terror and torture. A particularly vivid account recalled how gasoline was poured down a man's throat with a lit match used as a threat. After a sufficient period of suffering from the toxic effects of ingesting gasoline, the victim was set afire and burned alive from the inside out. Little distinction is made between political opponents, disloyal officials, and petty criminals in terms of the brutality of punishment and reprisal.

~snip~
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2004/may/0511_saddam_torture.shtml

...and this guy starts a company with a 26 year old Nick Berg? And he's the "last 'friend' to talk to him", and we're to believe his account? So this is a guy who is "personally invested" in the success of the "Bush plan"... Stranger and strager.

~snip~
AZIZ AL-TAEE, IRAQI-AMERICAN COUNCIL: Good morning.

HEMMER: First things first, before we talk about the price tag, what happens in a post-war Iraq relative to terrorism against American targets, either in Iraq, overseas or in this country?

AL-TAEE: I think democracy in Iraq will put an end to any terrorist organization that exists in Iraq right now. There are a few terrorist organizations -- and I'm not talking about al Qaeda. I'm talking about Mujahedeen had a 100,000 strong Iranian background organization. It's an anti-Iranian government that's supported by Saddam. There is Abu Nidal organization and Abu Labas (ph). All of these terrorist organizations that Saddam has supported.

There will be an end to these organizations and there will be an official...

HEMMER: Yes, that is within Iraq, though. But do they foster and do they fester in other areas outside your borders of your country? AL-TAEE: Not really because, you know, these organizations were a production of dictatorships that the United States administrations in the past has supported. Now, after September 11, something changed. We realized that that policy of installing and supporting dictatorships cannot work and the only way out of these problems is democracy throughout the region.

By setting Iraq as an example, by the Iraqi people as a democratic system, I think all the nations will realize the only way to get to the point of view is really by democracy, and not by terrorism.

HEMMER: Let's see now on the price tag here. It has been rather elusive. Some are suggesting the costs of this war after the war is over could be as high as $20 billion per year for several years.

Where does the money come from and who pays?

AL-TAEE: The liberation war will be financed from the Iraqi rich resources. We have oil and we have a lot of tourism because of all the major religions, the holy sites there. Also, it will be much less than the cumulative costs of September 11 or another attack like September 11, which a chemical or biological weapon can be used.

HEMMER: You raise a good point about the oil reserves. It could be five times what is known in Kuwait, and we know what Kuwait has done since the 1940s with their own source of oil. Donald Rumsfeld mentioned that yesterday. He said the oil reserves could pay for this war. In effect, are the Iraqis paying for a U.S.-led invasion of your country?

AL-TAEE: Actually, it's going to be most probably the Iraq resources will pay for the, you know, the liberation, and I don't want to call it invasion. I want to take the opportunity also to send another message for Saddam that we've been sending, for him to prevent a war by stepping down and going into exile.

So it's, at this point it's totally up to Saddam to prevent the war by going into exile.

~snip~
more: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0303/12/ltm.13.html

:eyes:

http://www.paulreveresociety.com/savageinterviewwithaltaee.html

Who would believe this crap:"the victim was set afire and burned alive from the inside out"? This is ridiculous. Did the evil Saddamites supply an oxygen inlet - or is this just plain ole incubator baby stuff GOPUSA is feeding to an atrocity hungry public?

at the WH press gaggles.

NT!

his friendship with Aziz was instrumental in his beliefs about Iraq?

"I was always pressuring him to keep a low profile, but he ignored all my caution and advice," Aziz said. "Berg kept a high profile, wandering around late at night or took public transport. Sometimes he got upset, looked at me in such a way, or said, 'You're not my dad' or 'I'm an adult, I can make my own decision."

and...

The next day, Aziz said, Berg called to say that he was going to the northern city of Mosul, where the brother of Berg's uncle lives. "He invited me to go with him, but I declined because it was dangerous," said Aziz.

It's possible that this guy *though shady* was simply a friend of Nick Berg? It's also possible that this guy, a friend of Berg's turned him over to X and got some mula or???

Very Strange - we all know something stinks, just not sure what it smells like yet.

I have searched the print edition of the Phila. Inquirer and find nothing about this story. The philly.com page doesn't give any indication of the specific paper it appears in.

The "coincidences" in this story are getting to be too much to believe.

Thanks for the post.

He wrote the best major US media "9/11 Unanswered Questions" article to date (for the second anniversary).

He also broke the "3 minute gap" (between the CVR recording "ending" and the seismic signature of crash) Flight 93 story.

http://img.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Aziz+al-Taee&ei=UTF-8&=

I'd post it, but haven't a clue how....interesting how he's dropped out of sight.

~snip~

Ahmed Chalabi arrives in southern Iraq April 6, with members of the Free Iraqi Forces.

The war over the peace
The Pentagon, the State Department and the U.N. are fighting over who controls postwar Iraq. It's a battle that could be more critical than the military campaign.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Michelle Goldberg



April 14, 2003 | The bloody fighting on the ground in Iraq may be drawing to a close, but in offices and back rooms in Washington, London, New York and Kuwait, the battle to control the country's reconstruction rages. Three groups are vying for dominance -- the Pentagon and its neocon proxies, with their grand dreams of a new Middle East, the State Department realists, who fear Iraq could become a new Lebanon, and the United Nations, fighting the Pentagon's efforts to marginalize it. Which group prevails will determine, in part, what the next government of Iraq looks like, and whether the liberal democracy many exiles dream of is born and whether it survives.

Ultimately, there will be elections, so no group will be able to simply install Iraq's new leaders. But there are important open questions about when those elections will take place, under what kind of constitutional system, and who will rule the country in the interim. Whoever is running the country while the groundwork for democracy is being laid will be able to place Iraqis in temporary positions where they can consolidate power. According to Aziz Al-Taee, chairman of the Iraqi American Council, 36 exiles, handpicked by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, have spent the past four weeks in Virginia training for prospective roles in a transitional Iraqi government. Whoever ultimately has the power to fill such roles will have the power, at least in the short term, to shape Iraqi politics.


On Friday, Wolfowitz told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Iraq's transition to democracy would happen in three stages. America's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance will run the country in the immediate aftermath of the war. Meanwhile, Gen. Tommy Franks will hold meetings across the country to identify potential local leaders who can join Iraqi exiles in an interim authority. Once basic services are up and running in the country, Iraq's administration will be turned over to the Iraqi authority, which will govern until elections can be held.

~snip~
more:http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/04/14/reconstruction/

All images of the new prime suspect:

http://images.google.com/images?q=Aziz+al-Taee&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search



Mr. & Mrs. Hakak, Paul Wolfowitz and Aziz



Aziz the Freep

There are too many coincidences here.

great find on that one. :)

community.webshots.com/ album/61282220TUvbWW/2

Lots and lots of freeper pictures here.

that "Are you with us or against us!"

Michael Berg said his son refused a U.S. offer in early April
to board an outbound charter jet because he believed travel
to the airport was too dangerous.

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=1863342

"I was always pressuring him to keep a low profile, but
he ignored all my caution and advice," Aziz said. "Berg kept
a high profile, wandering around late at night or took
public transport. Sometimes he got upset, looked at me in
such a way, or said, 'You're not my dad' or 'I'm an adult, I
can make my own decision." "

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/8684646.htm?ERIGHTS=-9086222262578030485philly::buzzflash@buzzflash.com&KRD_RM=7nvvunnuovwnouwnqvnnnnnnnn|mark|N

How did the FBI find out that Moussaoui had used
Berg's
email password?

happened, or shortly thereafter. It's also my understanding that he mentioned it to the FBI when he was interviewed by them in Iraq.

A Royal Warrant is initially granted for five years, after which time it comes up for review by the Royal Household Tradesmen's Warrants Committee. Warrants may not be renewed if the quality or supply for the product or service is insufficient, as far as the relevant Royal Household is concerned. A warrant may, however, be cancelled at any time and is automatically reviewed if the grantee dies or leaves the business, or if the firm goes bankrupt or is sold. There are rules to ensure that high standards are maintained.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page319.asp

Well then,
that explains why al Bawaba was so very proud to display the royal Arms upon its website.
And it also explains how Reuters got the initial videotape.
But it still leaves with with a rather delicate situation.

Whois summary for al-ansar.net/ansar.ws:
R., rachid alansar_net@hotmail.com
Al-ansar Net
184 High Holborn
London, London WC1V 7AP
United Kingdom
2078312310

This is the website and physical address of the parties who FIRST RELEASED THE BERG VIDEO. Therefore this decapitation is irrefutably linked to:

Saudi Research and Publishing Limited SPRC
Contact Information
184 High Holborn, London WC1V 7AP
Tel: +44 171 831 8181
Fax: +44 171 831 2310
Web Site: http://www.arab.net/srpc /
History
Founded by Hisham Ali Hafez and Mohammad Ali Hafez in 1972
http://www.arabdecision.com/show_func_3_11_21_0_5_10015.htm

Yet Her Majesty, Queen Elisabeth,
appears to be satisfied with the quality of services provided by this company which has apparently worked in her interests for at least five years.

ArabNet is owned by ArabNet Technology (ANT), part of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, publisher of the leading newspapers and magazines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including Asharq Al-Awsat.
http://www.arab.net/sections/about.html

More at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=125x11866#11987

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/8684646.htm?1c

Berg's first efforts to win radio-tower repair work were unsuccessful, and he was robbed on the streets of Baghdad.

"I was always pressuring him to keep a low profile, but he ignored all my caution and advice," Aziz said. "Berg kept a high profile, wandering around late at night or took public transport. Sometimes he got upset, looked at me in such a way, or said, 'You're not my dad' or 'I'm an adult, I can make my own decision." "

Aziz said that Berg left his equipment with him during a short trip back to the U.S. When he came back, the two spent an hour climbing tall buildings at Abu Ghraib, site of the infamous prison. Aziz said they re-recorded measurements that were in his stolen notebook.

The next day, Aziz said, Berg called to say that he was going to the northern city of Mosul, where the brother of Berg's uncle lives. "He invited me to go with him, but I declined because it was dangerous," said Aziz.

The holes in the official story, like that of 9/11, are wide enough to drive a truck through them.

The whole business reeks of lies and deceit.

Anyone here that Berg had any family in Iraq? And wouldn't the "brother of Berg's uncle" be his own father? This is very confusing here. Quote from the article.


"The next day, Aziz said, Berg called to say that he was going to the northern city of Mosul, where the brother of Berg's uncle lives. "He invited me to go with him, but I declined because it was dangerous," said Aziz."

Talon News is that bogus "news service" run by loony volunteers and given a seat in the White House briefings specifically for the purpose of asking shill questions.

Someone has needed to investigate this operation for a long time. Now they come up on google with this Aziz character.

the more I feel that al-Taee is a rightwing created persona....most of quotes attributed to him are from NewsMax, Fox, Talon, Pro-War events.

check out connection to Freeperville!!

Biased BBC
... this interview Savage conducted with Mr Aziz Al-Taee, Chairman of the Iraqi American
Council, suggest that Savage wants to slaughter him because of his race? ...
www.biased-bbc.blogspot.com/ 2003_06_01_biased-bbc_archive.html - 91k - Cached - Similar pages

MPAC
... Center for Understanding Islam Gray Henry Fons Vitae/Islamic Texts Society Lobna
Ismail Connecting Cultures Aziz al-Taee Iraqi American Council Mirsad Mujovic ...
www.mpac.org/popa_article_display.aspx?ITEM=397 - 50k - Cached - Similar pages

www.delawareonline.com : The News Journal : LOCAL : Iraqi ...
... Aziz al-Taee, a Philadelphia businessman and chairman of the Iraqi-American Council,
a national group formed by Iraqi expatriates opposed to Saddam's government ...
www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/ 2003/04/18iraqiexpatriate.html - 43k - Cached - Similar pages

© 2004, Gannett News Service
... Bush administration has failed to create an elected government in Baghdad and restore
electricity and water service to millions, said Aziz Al-Taee, chairman of ...
indystar.gannettonline.com/gns/ iraq/20030630-25613.shtml - 18k - Cached - Similar pages

Protesters Are Met With War's Supporters (Patriots Rally for ...
... Aziz Al-Taee, a representative of the Iraqi-American Council who spoke to the Marines
and Other Veterans, and the FreeRepublic.com groups, said none of the anti ...
209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/825313/posts - 41k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

Peaceful Action :: A Place to Speak Out on Social and Cultural ...
... On the other hand, Mr Aziz al-Taee, the chairman of the Iraqi-American Council said,
"We object to the fact that any ethnicity should be targeted", adding that ...
www.peacefulaction.org/ modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=93 - 21k - Cached - Similar pages

CBS News | Shades Of The Sixties | October 27, 2002 00:33:52
... counterdemonstration. Aziz al-Taee, spokesman for the Iraqi-American
Council, said, "I think America is doing just fine. ... We ...
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/ 26/attack/main527058.shtml - 41k - Cached - Similar pages

more to the search
http://www.google.com/search?q=Aziz+al-Taee&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&edition=us&start=50&sa=N

~snip~
Iraqi-Americans team up with vets

The FReepers and MOVE-OUT also will host Aziz Al-Taee of the Iraqi-American Council as speaker.

"Theirs is a voice that isn't heard in the media," Taylor complains.

Aziz recently appeared on Greta van Susteren's Fox News show, Taylor said, and now he is starting to get a "few appearances." He adds that Aziz and his group publicly demean Osama bin Laden in very strong terms, something that isn't seen or heard – a very rare thing in the Islamic world."

He added that the two groups agree on a very fundamental issue: a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Taylor thoroughly denounced anti-Semitism, saying "We're not racist, and we don't like people who are."
~snip~
more: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30566

Here's the whois info for "Talon News":

Registrant:
Eberle, Bobby (ISYFUGKQUD)
2620 Sunday House Dr.
Pearland, TX 77584
US
Domain Name: TALONNEWS.COM
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Eberle, Bobby (24065026I)bobby.eberle@gopusa.com
2620 Sunday House Dr.
Pearland, TX 77584
US
281-412-2184 fax: 999 999 9999
Record expires on 29-Mar-2006.
Record created on 29-Mar-2003.
Database last updated on 17-May-2004 18:00:51 EDT.
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.DATAPIPE.NET 64.27.65.13
NS2.DATAPIPE.NET 64.27.64.76

http://www.betterwhois.com/complete.cgi?domain=talonnews.com®whois=whois.networksolutions.com&key=133384

It's a GOP "news" service.

JMO, but he is a creation of the rw and GOP...and the photo of Wolfie with him puts it in perspective along with his speech before the freeps.

Berg e-mailed Aziz Taee, Philadelphia director of a group called the American-Iraqi Council, and said he wanted to do some business in Iraq. Aziz agreed to give him some space in an office he had in Baghdad; they would form a partnership, seeking communications work.

And in January, he went to Iraq.
http://www.fox23news.com/news/world/story.aspx?content_id=EC7AA970-1DBC-420A-8CCE-3F9C559C5E1B

fwiw.

n/t

What brother of Berg's uncle lives in Mosul? Now he has relatives in Iraq too?

I'd not heard this bit before.

I'm so confused!!!

does that make sense? I'm getting confuggled as well. :crazy:

Bergs relatives in Iraq are old news!

The facts that (1) Berg's aunt had married an Iraqi whose brother lives in Mosul (2) Berg visited him in Mosul where he helped him with his e-mail accout were reported last Wednesday.

See, e.g.,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1577936#1587781

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/133/world/Questions_surround_young_Ameri:.shtml

* * *

Berg was inspecting communications facilities, some of which were destroyed in the war or by looters.

During his time in Iraq, he struggled with the Arabic language and worked at night on a tower in Abu Ghraib, a site of repeated attacks on U.S. convoys and the location of the notorious prison where U.S. soldiers abused Iraqi inmates.

His father, Michael Berg, told the AP that Michael's sister, now dead, married an Iraqi man named Mudafer, who became close to Nicholas. In one of the e-mails, Nicholas Berg describes going to the northern city of Mosul, where he introduced himself to Mudafer's brother, identified as Moffak Mustaffa.

''We got along splendidly,'' Berg wrote. ''We spent a few hours and I helped him establish an e-mail account.''

* * *

Thanks for the update.

Seems like the fact that he had relations in Iraq might've helped him possibly, but I guess now there are further questions as to who actually had captured him.

That's where I am particularly fuzzy, is his actual disappearance after being held by US, etc.

Strange bit of business.

could he be the smoking gun in the case of Berg. :shrug:

Must have spoke pretty fair English, as I don't think Berg knew much Arabic.

Why would al-Zarqawi identify himself and cover his face??? Makes nooo sense to anyone I have spoken with.

doesn't make any sense to me either...:shrug:

to eliminate competition? Cripes this mystery is getting stranger by the day.

to behead the guy and make some faux terrorist video that mainly helps shrubco propaganda purposes.

it could be both? Perhaps the contractors stand to gain financially if the US stays in Iraq? Who knows???

I am not convinced of anything except something doesn't add up. Not sure what the connected dots will say in the end.

:kick:

when the right wing media hypes the decapitation.

No one has found an official filing for a business in his hometown by the name given in the press.

His reason for getting into Iraq could have been to see a relative (father's uncle by marriage) living in Mosul.

His other reason could have been to find work stemming from a compassion for the country based on his connection there.

His other reason could have been espionage.

His other reason could have been big hopes for his business future through his connection to a member of the Iraqi American Council made prior to his arrival.

He is presented as having a generous heart, interested in helping, yet supporting the war.

Most importantly....

The right wing media does not ask any questions about the reasons he was in prison.

I don't think the executioners were Iraqi or SA's or Pakistanis or Jordanians.

I'm not sure I think the person in the orange suit was N Berg.

But the work did not come through. This has been established by his parents and his own e-mails and was reported last Wednesday. (More accurate to describe him as self-employed contractor, not really a business person.)

But the deteriorating security situation apparently intervened. Not to mention his 13-day detention by Iraqi police, US military or some other group. What is curious is that no one will own up to detention. Is that just for liability concerns (i.e. but for detention would have flown home as planned)

I guess it's been a busy time since my trip to Mosul and the great quest to locate Uncle-In-Law Moffak. The week of 4 Jan 2004 was very busy as there were several RFQ's (requests for quotations) due by the end of the week, most only announced Monday. This gave us little time to respond to some very appropriate bid requests. The other big news was the announcement Friday morning (9 Jan 2004) that the Harris/Al-Fawares/Lebanon Broadcast Company consortium had finally been awarded the new IMN contract. With out getting too technical, this is a one year (at least) contract to operate and rehabilitate the former Ministry of Information, Minister Naji's turf.

The reason this is good news is that we were announced as Harris's approved tower sub-contractor about two days before the award, and we have been working with Al-Fawares since I met one of their guys in early December.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/8651712.htm?1c

Aziz contradicts this:

Aziz says Berg traveled the country, examining and measuring towers and seeking subcontracts - unsuccessfully.

"He was very good, had a lot of confidence in what he did. When he realized he didn't get a subcontract he decided to go back to the United States" in February, Aziz says.
http://www.fox23news.com/news/world/story.aspx?content_id=EC7AA970-1DBC-420A-8CCE-3F9C559C5E1B

Maybe Berg was talking up possible work to friends because he didn't want to admit failing to secure any. Anyone know about Florida based Harris Corp?

I'm new, so I can't post a new thread. This is what a quick search found about Nick Berg's friend and business partner, Aziz al-Taee. It's not an exhaustive list, but it's a start. Perhaps folks know of others who'd be interested?

Additions? Corrections?

----------------------------------------------------------------
Who is Aziz al-Taee?
----------------------------------------------------------------

He's an 40 yo Iraqi ex-pat who's lived in the U.S. for 20 yrs, a Philadelphia entrepreneur, and founder of the Iraqi-American Council.


al-Taee (AKA Aziz Kadoory Aziz and sometimes also spell al-Tahee or al-Taree, though not by al-Taee himself) made the media rounds in the lead up to the Iraq invasion, appearing as a representative of his organization and often referred to as an "expert."


Remember the story of the Iraqi mother, presented with the dead body of her son and a bill from Saddam for the bullets used to murder him? She was also warned that if she mourned his death, she'd be killed too. That was a tale told by al-Taee. al-Taee addressed several issues, among them:

*) He complained that not enough attention was paid to genocide in Iraq.

*) He took an upbeat stance toward the FBI's plans to question 50,000 Iraqis about their ties to Saddam and Al Qaeda.

*) He warned that Saddam would use Iraqis as human shields during the war.

*) He siad that Saddam forced his family to house Republican Guards.

*) He warned people that Saddam was providing AK47s to children to fight.

*) He warned people that Saddam was kidnapping children to fight the invasion.

*) He backed U.S. actions, casting it as a war for liberation, not for occupation.

*) He maintained that antiwar activistis were demoralizing the Iraqi people, giving aid to Saddam.

*) Insisted that the Iraqi people want nothing to do with the UN (on Michael Savage show) and that only the U.S. and the U.K. should be involved in post-war reconstruction, etc.

*) He supported the U.S. claims that Saddam was developing WMD capabilities.

*) He said that Saddam played footage of peace protests.


Nick Berg initially met up with Aziz al-Taee when he attended an expo on business opportunities in Iraq. Berg e-mailed Aziz-al Taee in January. Aziz al-Taee claims that he was the last person to see Nick alive. He also claims to have cell phone records indicating that Berg made phone calls on April 19, ten days after his family last heard from him on April 9.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/8684646.htm?1c


INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL SAVAGE:

http://www.homestead.com/prosites-prs/savageinterviewwithaltaee.html


---------------------------------------------------------------
MEDIA QUOTES BY:
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1]. On the same program Aziz Al-Taee an Iraqi opposition supporter and former Iraqi citizen makes the point that "Saddam is in dialog with supporters of Bin Laden… he is a thug. To Europe, he said "The Americans helped save you from Hitler."
http://www.jhs.jordan.k12.ut.us/beetdiggerpost/publications/issue13/printfriendly/story06.html



2]. Al-Taee: "It's not the appropriate policy because containment has been a process of slow-death for the Iraqi people. We have had sanction on us for the last 13 years in Iraq and the people are dying, the kids are dying. Saddam doesn't care about the people. He takes the money. What he does, for example, he, the United Nations pay the bill so he will get some food imported from, from Syria to the Iraqi borders. He will get the United Nations to pay for it, then he will take it to Jordan, start again and get paid for it again and again and he's doing it like a black market like that. Containment also it didn't stop his torture to the Iraqi people. They didn't stop his killing the Iraqi people. So we cannot depend on containment and have like 500,000 Iraqis die every month."
http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2003/cyb20030304.asp



3]. Aziz Al-Taee, Chairman of the Iraqi-American Council, told NewsMax.com prior to his address to the gathering, that Iraqis with whom he had communicated "are very excited about liberation. They know Saddam's days are numbered. Saddam has taken them hostage for the last thirty-four years.

A refugee from Saddam's torture chambers, Al-Taee described how he had been electrocuted with a high voltage, and subjected to "hanging to the ceiling with hands tied, had his hands lifted up while they whip you with a stick on the bottom of your feet.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/3/2/165001.shtml



4]. Aziz al Taee is an Iraqi-American who says Saddam Hussein must be stopped.

"This dictator has ambitions of having a nuclear bomb. He already has biological and chemical weapons, so the threat is larger than Hitler and Milozovic. So, we do support force as a last resort," al Taee said.
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:SCQHQl429poJ:www.nbc4.com/news/1742154/detail.html+%22Aziz+al-Taee%22&hl=en



5]. Many Iraqi residents hope coalition forces destroy Tikrit because of its history as a symbol of the excesses of the Hussein regime, according to the Journal.

"I would tell the people of Tikrit they have 24 hours to get out of there and then bomb the whole city to the ground, said Aziz al-Taee, chairman of the American Iraqi Council (John Fialka, Wall Street Journal, April 9).
http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/newswires/2003_4_9.html



6]. Coalition Provisional Authority Operational Briefing
Presenter: Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, Commander U.S. Ground Force in Iraq
August 7, 2003

<...>
Q My name is Aziz Al-Taee, chairman of the Iraqi-American Council, visiting from the States. Actually, I want to take the opportunity to express the thankful feeling among the Iraqi-American community for the great jobs has been done.

The question we have -- obviously, we are concerned about the casualties among the civilians, and also, among the U.S. soldiers and the coalition soldiers. How fast is in your plan to transfer the power and empower the Iraqi Governing Council and try to stabilize the security situation here?
http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/transcripts/20030801.htm



7]. "I spoke to my family in Baghdad yesterday. They said, 'We are waiting for freedom!' " yelled Aziz Al-Taee, chairman of the Iraqi-American Council. He then hugged an Operation Desert Storm veteran clad in his beige uniform and led the crowd in six chants of "Free Iraq now!"
http://www.politicalposts.com/news/index.asp?id=172628



8]. "My family tells me, 'The big wedding is coming soon,'" said Aziz Al-Taee, who chairs the American-Iraqi Council, a national nonprofit for Iraqi exiles, and regularly calls his mother and sister in Baghdad. "We don't have anybody getting married, so what they mean is the liberation or something good is about to happen."

Over the phone it is not just who does talk, but who doesn't, that matters. Al-Taee last spoke to his mother, his sister and one of his nieces, but his brother and brother-in-law and the other male members of his family never picked up.

"They tell me the men are sleeping but I don't think that's the reason - I worry they've been taken by Saddam's military group, or used as human shields," said Al-Taee, 39, who left Iraq 20 years ago and owns electronics stores in Philadelphia. "The last three times I've called, no male members of my family have come to the phone."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/iraq/bal-te.relatives29mar29,0,2095214.story?coll=bal-iraq-headlines



----------------------------------------------------------------
ARTICLES:
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1]. Iraqis Call for Saddam Trial
http://www.metimes.com/2K3/issue2003-5/reg/iraqis_call_for.htm


2]. Iraqi Dissident Leader To Speak At Freeper Event Tomorrow
They're Not Expecting Any Counterprotests
3/21/03 5:18:20 PM

Washington, DC --

<....>
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/869829/posts


3]. Iraqi protestors misrepresented by media
by marisa
28 Oct 2002
Modified: 11 Aug 2003

I spoke with Aziz Al-Tahee, one of the organizers of the Iraqi protest that is being called a "counter-protest." He gave me a copy of their press release, which contains no mention of war at all. They were calling for human rights inspectors and the trial of Saddam by an international tribunal. The major thrust of their protest according to the press release was to protest the "false amnesty" that Saddam had supposedly granted political prisoners, many of whom are still missing.

Mr. Tahee also indicated that Saddam plays footage of American peace protests on Iraqi TV, claiming that our resistance to war means that we support him and his regime. Very demoralizing to Iraqis! Their purpose was to make sure we remember his crimes and take action against him, but war was not the action they were calling for.
http://lists.mutualaid.org/pipermail/imc-dc-editorial/2002-October/002629.html



4]. The FReepers and MOVE-OUT also will host Aziz Al-Taee of the Iraqi-American Council as speaker. "Theirs is a voice that isn't heard in the media," Taylor complains. Aziz recently appeared on Greta van Susteren's Fox News show, Taylor said, and now he is starting to get a "few appearances." He adds that Aziz and his group publicly demean Osama bin Laden in very strong terms, something that isn't seen or heard ­ a very rare thing in the Islamic world." He added that the two groups agree on a very fundamental issue: a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Taylor thoroughly denounced anti-Semitism, saying "We're not racist, and we don't like people who are." The FReeper leader was referring to last April's "pro-Palestinian" march in D.C., organized also by A.N.S.W.E.R. He called it a "horrific rally," saying "I saw more swastikas there than in the films of the old Nuremberg rallies." Taylor has now reported that, unlike the October rally, "C-SPAN has informed me that they will not be covering 'The Patriots Rally for America,' but they will be broadcasting http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30566 (10 of 13) <1/19/2003 4:21:09 AM>

http://mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/0504/051104-saddam.htm
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:8tP1I_gNBo0J:209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/873009/posts+%22Aziz+al-Taee%22&hl=en



5]. Aziz Al-Taee, chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based Iraqi-American Council, said his organization believes in cooperating with the FBI but advocates interviews based on probable cause rather than ethnicity.

"Iraqi-Americans are victims of Saddam Hussein," said Al-Taee, whose group advocates democracy in Iraq.

He said the U.S. government apparently plans to contact 50,000 Iraqis using a protocol initiated in Philadelphia, where about 200 people have been interviewed. Al-Taee said they were given a leaflet listing their rights, were asked about specific Iraqi individuals and were offered FBI protection against hate crimes. Al-Taee said the sessions averaged less than 10 minutes.
http://www.bethil-online.com/news/news/march_03/fbi-03.htm



6]. Aziz Al-Taee, chairman of the Iraqi American Council, at Saturday's Patriots Rally for America: "This war is going to lead to peace."
http://www.radioleft.com/article.php?op=Print&sid=988



7]. Aziz Al-Taee, a representative of the Iraqi-American Council who spoke to the Marines and Other Veterans, and the FreeRepublic.com groups, said none of the anti-war speakers accurately described the Iraqi dictator.

"They never tell of Saddam's horrible crimes," he said. "They never want to show pictures of Halabja, but they only want to show pictures of people affected by the sanctions." Halabja was the scene of a gassing of 6,000 Kurds by Saddam Hussein in 1988.
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/825313/posts



8]. Berg e-mailed Aziz Taee, Philadelphia director of a group called the American-Iraqi Council, and said he wanted to do some business in Iraq. Aziz agreed to give him some space in an office he had in Baghdad; they would form a partnership, seeking communications work.

And in January, he went to Iraq.
http://www.fox23news.com/news/world/story.aspx?content_id=EC7AA970-1DB...



9]. Aziz al-Taee, chairman of the Iraqi-American Council, relates some of the atrocities he has seen. He tells of how his cousin was tortured and murdered by Iraqi officials after which his mutilated body was returned to his mother with a bill for the bullets used to kill him. She was threatened with execution if she held a funeral service for her son.

http://gopusa.com/news/2003/march/0310_torture.shtml


----------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASES
----------------------------------------------------------------


January 25th , 2003
United Nations
Security Council

To: Whom It May Concern


Dear Sir/Madam


We in the Iraqi-American Council (IAC) , like millions worldwide , have watched on all TV screens,with shock and sadness, the UN inspectors in Baghdad giving up an Iraqi individual seeking to meet with them to provide with some information that could be useful to their work in Iraq. We condemn the behavior of the UN! inspectors for refusing to help this oppressed Iraqi Citizen who tried to seek refuge in the UN Property screaming " Save me! . ..Rescue Me!" as he was holding with his both arms a thick file of documents. The screams of this brave Iraqi represent the voice of all the oppressed Iraqi people who have been suffering for the last 34 years under the regime of Saddam Hussein.
<....>
Sincerely ,

Aziz Al-Taee ( Chairman)
cc: GENVA, SWITZERLAND
FAX: 0041227397377
http://www.barzan.com/upcoming_events43.html


----------------------------------------------------------------

Iraqi-American Council (IAC)
1220 L Street NW,
Suite #100-262
Washington DC, 20005-4018
Tel: 800-416-8684 Fax: 877-803-1800
Web site: http://www.iraqiamericans.org e-mail: iraq@al-iraq.org

ON Al-Jazeera:Iraqi-Americans ask Saddam to step down from power to prevent the War

WASHINGTON (03-15-03): Iraqi-Americans made a last minute demand for Saddam to step down from power to prevent a possible War in Iraq. Aziz Al-Taee Chairman of the Iraqi-American Council IAC told his host Hafiz Al-Mirazi that "at this point it is totally up to Saddam to prevent the War by stepping Down from power and going to exile" " I am not pro war" Al-Taee said" Actully, I want to stop Saddam's Continuing War on the Iraqi People during which he has killed 2 million Iraqis, gassed with chemicals against them, poisoned some and murdered the women and children."
<...>
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IRAQIAMERICANS/message/2301


----------------------------------------------------------------
ORGANIZATIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------

www.iraqiamericans.com (defunct)
http://www.al-iraq.org/contactus.htm
http://www.amstristate.com/ams/officers.htm
http://www.aicc.us/About%20Us.htm

And welcome to DU!!! :hi:

:yourock:

He's a walking propaganda mill.

"Like 500,000 every month". Nice. Yes, the sanctions were fucked up and did kill that many, but not every single month. Jesus.

This guy is worth his weight in gold to the freeper set.

Great post, oudeis, welcome to DU.

Welcome to DU! This guy was a darling of the media it seems. Definitely a Chalabi wannabe. How much did he stir the media pot of convincing Americans that Saddam was a danger and why didn't the media check him out is always the question.

That Berg was hanging around with this guy is one more piece in this bizarre puzzle of just WHO was Berg. More of a mystery than Pravda Media wants to discuss it seems.

KoKo01 and Just Me. :)

( there should be an icon for :blushing: )

Doing the research was therapeutic. Although, the more I learned about this guy, the more the whole thing got to me. It's entertaining to consider "conspiracy theories." But most of the time, they're just that. Reading everything about this guy, it just pointed at someone who might as well have been on the goverhment payroll.

Plus, reading his statements meant revisiting all the propaganda.... Aziz al Taee was so involved in promoting all of it. It reminded me of the drive to war, how no amount of reality, facts, articles, etc. could convince anyone who seemed determine to believe the war was about liberation.

NOw,, much of what many of us said at the time has been vindicated. And yet, people don't seem to be as upset about the lies--not as much as the situation seens to merit.

for DU'ers. There's a TON to look through.

I hope Aziz Al-Taee enjoyed the hell outta getting to know the lunatic fringe Freepers. Wonder how long it's going to take him to discover he's consorting with America's super looney-toon fringe.



Makes you wonder just what he'd do to make sure his special interest group gets its way in Iraq.

here throughout the next day, at least. This is deeply interesting.

:kick:

This is too frikkin much. Must be a subsidiary of the Illuminati, Unltd. -- BFEE Holding, Wanking, and Public Screwjob Co.

The question is, who were the killers?

Were they really speaking Russian? Can we confirm this once and for all?

"Berg teamed up in Baghdad with an ex-Philadelphia man who led a controversial group of Iraqi expatriates encouraged by the U.S. government - even as he faced deportation for his role in Russian-emigre crime ring selling millions of vials used for crack.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Two Russians abducted by guerrillas in Iraq earlier this month have been freed on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, the Russian Foreign Ministry said
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/17/russian.hostages.freed/index...

Alexander Gordiyenko and Andrei Meshcheryakov

Interenergoservice is one of many Russian companies working on contracts in Iraq related to the rebuilding the country's infrastructure under the pre-war, U.N.-sponsored Oil-for-Food program
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200405%5CFOR20040512a.html

the Interenergoservice company -- which has a $30-million contract to restore five power stations

Last month, Russia evacuated some 300 citizens after eight Interenergoservice employees were briefly held by gunmen in Baghdad. At the time, Russian media commentators speculated that the hostages were promptly released due to Moscow's opposition to the war.

This week, however, commentators argued that Russians could no longer be considered immune from terrorist attacks in Iraq.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200405%5CFOR20040512a.html

Alexander Gordiyenko, one of the two men currently being held hostage, went to Iraq as a replacement worker after the first exodus in April. In Russia he was making about $50 US a month. In Iraq, his monthly salary is more than $1,000 US.
(Is my math right? Is that about $33 a day?)

The lucrative oil contracts that Russia had signed with the fallen regime of Saddam Hussein are now in a state of flux.
Russian diplomats and executives have said they are keen to return to Iraq, but their commitment to the country with the world’s second-largest oil reserves has now come under a stern test.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/may-2004/12/others/for4.asp

`Coalition authorities bear responsibility for security in Iraq,'' Russia's Foreign Ministry said in its statement
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aKlHcGgoZHGE&refer=top_world_news

How far would Interenergoservice be willing to go to get their guys back?

???

The story works either way. Why complicate it without any evidence?

From everything I've read (including a boatload of Berg's personal emails to his family), Berg comes across as a sincere rube with a limited understanding of the deeper political ramifications of his adventures.

If he was in deep cover, he did a damn good job of writing these emails.

But, as they say, anything's possible. And the story fits together either way (though slightly differently, of course).

What doesn't work is if Berg was a suspected Israeli spy AND this is the reason he was killed by actual terrorists AND the tape that was released was authentic. Because if that were the case (note the correct use of the subjunctive mood), why didn't the terrorists announce the fact that they suspected Berg was an Israeli spy in their long winded speech?

The only possible explanation is that this announcement would have compromised the film's pro-Bush PR impact vis a vis the American public, and this, of course, points 180 degrees away from actual terrorists.

assertion as a crockabullshit.

The infamous Kristinn Taylor of D.C.

"4]. The FReepers and MOVE-OUT also will host Aziz Al-Taee of the Iraqi-American Council as speaker. "Theirs is a voice that isn't heard in the media," Taylor complains. Aziz recently appeared on Greta van Susteren's Fox News show, Taylor said, and now he is starting to get a "few appearances." He adds that Aziz and his group publicly demean Osama bin Laden in very strong terms, something that isn't seen or heard ­ a very rare thing in the Islamic world." He added that the two groups agree on a very fundamental issue: a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Taylor thoroughly denounced anti-Semitism, saying "We're not racist, and we don't like people who are." The FReeper leader was referring to last April's "pro-Palestinian" march in D.C., organized also by A.N.S.W.E.R. He called it a "horrific rally," saying "I saw more swastikas there than in the films of the old Nuremberg rallies." Taylor has now reported that, unlike the October rally, "C-SPAN has informed me that they will not be covering 'The Patriots Rally for America,' but they will be broadcasting http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30566 (10 of 13) <1/19/2003 4:21:09 AM>"