Nick Berg and Al Qaeda?

Paul at Wizbang has a rather disturbing report:

A friend called me and told me the AP was going to release a story that Nick Berg was investigated by the FBI 2 years ago because he gave his password for his computer account at his university to terrorist mastermind Zacharias Moussaoui.

There’s no link yet [UPDATE: See below] –the story isn’t out–but Paul has pretty good media connections, so this seems plausible.

In a separate post, he links this Reuters story: Berg Died for Bush, Rumsfeld ‘Sins’ – Father

In the interview from outside his home in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a seething Michael Berg also said his 26-year-old son, a civilian contractor, probably would have felt positive, even about his executioners, until the last minute.

“I am sure that he only saw the good in his captors until the last second of his life,” Berg said. “They did not know what they were doing. They killed their best friend.”

***

“I have a written statement from the State Department in Baghdad … saying that my son was being held by the military,” Berg said. “I can also assure you that the FBI came to my house on March 31 and told me that the FBI had him in Mosul in an Iraqi prison.”

Dan Senor, spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority, said this week that Nick Berg was arrested in Mosul by Iraqi police on March 24 and released on April 6.

Senor said the FBI visited Berg three times during his detention by Iraqi police and determined that he was not involved in criminal or terrorist activities. [emphasis mine]

Clearly, there is something odd going on here. On the one hand, the authorities apparently had reason to believe Berg had shady connections. On the other, they saw fit to release him–in a climate where they seem perfectly willing to hold people indefinitely given strong suspicion.

UPDATE: CBS has the story:

Initially, Berg’s murder seemed to be a case of an eccentric young American who was in the wrong place at the worst possible time — just as the revelations of American mistreatment of iraqi prisoners were coming to light.

But CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin reports on what is turning into a bizarre mystery with a connection to 9/11.

U.S. officials say the FBI questioned Berg in 2002 after a computer password Berg used in college turned up in the possession of Zaccarias Moussaoui, the al Qaeda operative arrested shortly before 9/11 for his suspicious activity at a flight school in Minnesota.

The bureau had already dismissed the connection between Berg and Moussaoui as nothing more than a college student who had been careless about protecting his password.

But in the wake of Berg’s gruesome murder, it becomes a stranger than fiction coincidence — an American who inadvertently gave away his computer password to one notorious al Qaeda operative is later murdered by another notorious al Qaeda operative.

(Via reader e-mail.)

Update: Joy Larkin points to some interesting Nick Berg e-mails in the Philadelphia Inquirer. [REG: james@my domain – jamesotb]

FILED UNDER: Terrorism, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. I cannot say that I understand what you are suggesting with the original post — would you like to clarify a bit?

  2. kellee says:

    i think that it is outragoeus that ppl are trying to pick apart nick berg after his death! how dare you! i beleive this to be completely selfish and just plain rude. and quite frankly i would now like to take the time to say FUCK OFF to president Bush with his racist, oil stealing, money hungry,gay marriage denying, separate but fucked ass! i wish that the muslims knew that we hate bush…

  3. Kevin says:

    I’m so tired of people blaming others, the government or some other entity when things go wrong or when bad things happen. Michael Berg…sit down, shut up and grieve for your son and knock off this sniveling and whining about how his death was anyone’s fault but his own. For those that remain intellectually challenged in the issue, Iraq is a WAR ZONE….people are killing other people!!! Don’t go there!

    Our boy Nick made a decision to go to Iraq and he thought he had the balls to survive. Our boy Nick should have never gone to Iraq and our boy Nick made a deadly choice to road trip to a WAR ZONE.

    And Michael…grow some balls man. Other mothers and fathers are losing their sons and daughters in battle every day over there. What makes your boy, Nick, so special? Communication towers? Please. Stop blaming everyone else; it’s pathetic and it’s wrong. He made a bad decision…live with it…..or just shut up.

    You make it sound as though the parents of every nit wit that steps off a curb in front of a moving bus should blame the bus manufacturer. Your son is dead and I’m sorry for that but get off your soap box….you look like a whiny, moron.

  4. April says:

    First let me to Kevin, I agree 100%. I beleive more updates on Berg real reason to go to Iraq will be comming out soon too much info I have already gether and anyone else can do the same. I do feel very sorry for Berg’s family and friends. But more has happened. Berg has been tied to Zacharias Moussaoui. What was he doing talking to ppl who had dealings with 9/11. How many american died from 9/11. What true american would give them the time of day to talk, expect of course if you were planning justice for those americans.
    And for you Kellee, we have every right to discover what Berg was really up to. If you don’t like it then FUCK OFF!

  5. Anonymous says:

    i am shocked by the lack of compassion. men are fighting an unnecessary and time consuming battle. we are loosing our precious children in a battle that will most likely go down in infamy. a poor father is grieving his impulsive and foolhardy son and all you can say is live with it move on etc how harsh most of you people are dispicable.

  6. Shaun says:

    Nick was bringinG Fire and Light and Love to the world not just to America, but to Uganda, Kenya, Iraq – to the WORLD !!!

    He was the Prometheus of today and now he joins God’s forces so don’t you dare think his work is done.

    Go Nick !!!!!

    Peace, Light and Love to all
    Shaun,

  7. Chris says:

    I believe that Nick had connections with terrorists in Iraq. I think Iraq soldiers captured him for some unknown reason, but they let him go. They “gave” him to the FBI.
    Then the FBI moved Nick Berg over to their own prison. There the FBI, The U.S. government herself, executed Nick. Not by cutting his head of though. He was already dead before they cut his head off. The video is fake, it is edited.

    So what I believe, is that U.S. government wanted to execute Nick Berg because of his relations to terrorists. But via a very smart way… they made a video where fake terrorists kill Nick Berg. Now the whole world thinks that terrorists are the bad guys AND the U.S. government got rid of a traitor. Now the government declines everything, because they have every right to: Nick Berg was captured in Iraq and the video shows Iraqi terrorists killing Nick Berg. But if you look closely… The executers are white. Iraqi people aren’t white…

    Think about it.

    Smart thinking Bush. Really smart. Right before the elections.

  8. Neil says:

    I dunno about the FBI/CIA angle. Lots of blogs have been saying that Berg was killed by the CIA, but I can’t help but think that if this was done by, say, the CIA, then I would have expected them to do a better job of faking the terrorist angle.

    There’s definitely something fishy about the video. I just don’t know what the fuck is going on right now, but I know with sick certainty that as more details come out on this story, I’m going to be more and more uncomfortable with it.

    This is not to say that I’m comfortable with terrorists whacking civilians, but it’s not as disturbing as imagining that it might have been done by someone ostensibly on our side.

    For now, my money is on:
    1) the video doesn’t depict what it claims to. I think he was dead before the beheading. identities of the masked men remains in question
    2) It probably wasn’t the CIA, nor any other group with serious experience doing spy shit.
    3) the more I learn, the less I’m gonna like it

    I’m thinking I won’t be surprised if it turns out to have been done by americans or allies of americans, but if it was, then I don’t think it was ordered from high up.

    anyway, I’m going back to watching the news

  9. tdub says:

    I believe the whole thing was set up by Nick. You can tell how he was raised, just listen to his father. He probably died easy, put to slept, just after the first scene. Then decapitated in the second scene. In his mind, he would save many, because the evil Americans would have to withdraw from Iraq under much protest for the innocent lives lost. Wake up people, it’s too late to leave. We will rebuild, and the country will prosper. Terrorism will continue, and we will continue to fight it. You people look at things from the other side of the fence, the whole world is not like the U.S.A. Take the silver spoon out of your mouth, and your peter out of your f______ boyfriend, and smell the roses.

    P.S. I hope I’m wrong about Nick, but wake up, and fight for the better of our world.

  10. Tredland says:

    I’ve watched the video of Nick Berg’s death a few times, but based on questions that are left unanswered. The video is strange, major edits are done, erie resemblances of our own prison system in iraq seem to cross into the video. “the white chair” I know I know.. it could be any chair, but the fact remains it is the same type. The clothing Nick wears, seems like military issued, the type he would be wearing in US custody. Anyway, I’m sure you’ve all read this type of stuff millions of times, but I still don’t feel right about what has happened. I hope we find out more “TRUTHS” about this case, instead of more lies or more questionable cover-ups. Who knows!! but I don’t know if I really want to know… ya’ know.

    Peace and stay safe out there. =)

  11. G. Arnold says:

    Skull & Bones David Boren Nick E. Berg Skull & Bones George Bush

    Nick E. Berg
    the Perfect Patsy

    Ritual Killing by Skull & Bones

    The Incubation and Slaughter of Nick E. Berg

    Gary Arnold / Anthony Hilder

    Oklahoma was the location of the Murrah Building bombing. This was part of a series of “black operations” designed to induce the American people to accept controls over their lives that they would never agree to … that is without the induced blood and guts of the American people.

    It was Governor Frank Keating “who found the axle complete with a “serial number” making the case for the “lone bomber”.

    The fact is Keating while working in the Justice during the late 1980’s “oversaw the operations on virtually every law enforcement agency including the secret service” and was the American representative to INTERPOL. This makes him a suspect of any “Black Operation” concerning the Oklahoma bombing.

    Keating had begun as an agent for the FBI 1969.

    Researchers already know of the Mid East connection in that “conspiracy.”

    What no one has mentioned … is that the well ensconced former Governor of Oklahoma David Boren is as dedicated a fanatic for World Government as is George Bush. Both are members of Skull & Bones deeply immersed in intelligence operations and have and do recruit their cadre for the New World Order.

    David Boren is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations as are … vast majority of the members of the Project for a New American Century (NeoCons). These people planned and declared that an incident … like (911) was necessary for Iraq occupation.

    In 1992 David Boren authored a bill to fund his personal recruitment “agents for a new world” order under the title National Security Education Program.

    The National Security Education Program (NSEP) recruits for the Drug Enforcement Agency, FBI, the Department of Defense, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Justice and INTERPOL.

    (NSEP) objectives are to recruit people like Nick E Berg.

    This Skull & Bones master conspirator, David Boren, is now the head of Oklahoma University. Boren was the longest serving chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee. Boren is a Rhodes Scholar.

    Rhodes having originated the genesis through his secret wills … America’s Illuminati … the Council on Foreign Relations.

    NSEP fellowships are named after Boren and are used to recruit change agents. Go to the NSEP website.

    Nick E. Berg is listed as an employee for Oklahoma University between the academic year 2000-2001. Just as FBI and former INTERPOL representative Governor Keating provided facts for the “Black Operation” for the “lone bomber theory” of the Murrah building … Skull & Bones former governor David Boron of Oklahoma provides cover for a “recruit” for 911 intrigues.

    Nick Berg’s job title was Public Events Attendant at the Lloyd Noble Arena. According, to NBC 10 Berg met a terrorism suspect in 1999 at the University of Oklahoma.

    During this time Berg just happened to “shared” his password on his computer and the connection is said throughout the media … that the person is “acquainted with the charged hijacker Moussaoui.

    Moussaoui’s apartment is just two minutes away from the University of Oklahoma.

    Let us not forget that both Bush (66 Skull & Bones) & Boren (63 Skull & Bones) are members of members of the Brotherhood of Death as is Skull & Bones as is Kerry (68).

    Their program is a secret agenda is to establish a New World Order as announced by George Bush Sr. (48 Skull & Bones). As was his father Prescott Bush a major financer of Hitler (17 Skull & Bones) through Brown, Brothers Harriman (13 Skull & Bones).

    Lest we forget, one of the key master minds of WWI & WWII of both global conflicts of the 20th Century was Henry L. Simpson (1888 Skull & Bones) … once again from the Skull & Bones. Simpson insisted the atomic bomb be dropped after a conditional surrender was asked for by Japan. That was 59 years ago and we still have troops in Germany and Japan.

    Was Nick Berg’s beheading at the behest of Bush and the Boys from the Brotherhood of Death.

    The Berg beheading has all the earmarks of the CFR’s CIA which was once headed by George Herbert Walker Bush (Skull & Bones (48).

    But maybe this is all just a coincidence

    Ashcroft, Condoleezza Rice (CFR) and Henry Kissinger (CFR) say it is all just a coincident as do the spin doctors of Murdock’s managed media. As George Bush Sr, said. “ Iraq said is the crucible of the New World Order”.

    There are legitimate questions:

    Stance

    Orange Jump Suit

    No Bleeding

    Fat White

    Same Color Wall

    Same Chair

    Dubbed Tape

    It is blatantly obvious that the Skull & Bones who will own the White House regardless of who wins the election in 2004 Bush (66 Skull & Bones) or Kerry (68 Skull & Bones). They are doing everything inhumanly possible to antagonize Islam and bring about the WWIII.

    To know of Boren’s hated for America see his early 1990 speech phrasing William Fulbright.

    And understand the network. See the Power Elite by Dennis Cuddy

    Thanks to MP Wright for job connection of Berg and the University and Ewing 2001 for having the information on line.

  12. G. Arnold is an idiot says:

    G. Arnold, kiss my ass, you have seen that movie “The Skulls” way too many times and I bet you have a crush on that fat kid who is in it, Joshua Jackson. Yes, you guessed it: Charlie Conway from the Mighty Ducks 1, 2 AND 3!!!! QUACK QUACK QUACK!!!! G. Arnold…eat it fag.

  13. brandie says:

    if the us government was going to kill someone and cover it up believe me you wouldnt find out about it.so people need to get off it!!! our president is a good man and needs your prayers too.his job aint so freaking easy you know. i just hope he wises up pulls our troops out and blows those hateful bastards clear the f- out.
    kill them all and let God sort them out.
    PROBLEM SOLVED no more dead americans.its been going on for far too long. and just for a bonus why dont we send some of these liberal idiots over there for thinking they know it all. they are just jealous they arent president.
    I back Bush 100% everything he does is for you!!!!!

  14. Anonymous says:

    “everything he does is for you!! ” hahahah Yeah right Brandie! Your hate post shows your true colors of a cruel cruel person.. Kill them all?? Is your idea for a solution? You’ve got to be kidding me!. It’s people like you who make this country so dangerous!!!

  15. Tray says:

    “everything he does is for you!! ” hahahah Yeah right Brandie! Your hate post shows your true colors of a cruel cruel person.. Kill them all?? Is your idea for a solution? You’ve got to be kidding me!. It’s people like you who make this country so dangerous!!!

  16. Tray says:

    “everything he does is for you!! ” hahahah Yeah right Brandie! Your hate post shows your true colors of a cruel cruel person.. Kill them all?? Is your idea for a solution? You’ve got to be kidding me!. It’s people like you who make this country so dangerous!!!