Nick Berg, 26, from West Chester, PA, became a household name when video of his decapitation by Iraqi militants was circulated on the Internet. His execution was said to have been in response to abuse of Iraqi prionsers in Abu Ghraib Prison, that was carried out by U.S. soldiers. Friends of Berg's said that he had told them earlier that he believed that he had been singled out for harassment because he was Jewish and had an Israeli stamp in his passport.

Berg, who was unmarried, owned a small business, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, inspecting and rebuilding communications antennae. It was in this capacity that he went to Iraq in December, 2003, in the hopes of helping to rebuild the Iraqi communications infrastructure. An adventurer at heart, Berg had already traveled to Kenya, Ghana and Uganda on similar projects.

There is a great deal of controversy over the circumstances of Berg's capture. His family says that he had intended to return to the U.S. late in March, 2004, but was detained by Iraqi police a week before his scheduled departure. According to the Berg family, Nick was turned over to U.S. officials and held for nearly two weeks. It wasn't until his family filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, claiming that Nick was being held illegally, that he was released, on April 5. The U.S. has denied holding Berg in custody. Berg's family last heard from him on April 9, after he left the Al Fanar Hotel in Baghdad. When they didn't hear from him for several days, Berg's family expressed concern to U.S. authorities in Iraq.

It was only on May 8, 2004, that U.S. soldiers discovered Berg's body in Baghdad. They informed his family two days later. On May 11, 2004, the website of the militant Islamist group, "Muntada al-Ansar," broadcast a 5-1/2 minute video with the opening title, "Abu Musa'b al-Zarqawi slaughters an American," which showed Berg being decapitated. Both al-Zarqawi and Muntada al-Ansar are associated with the Al-Qaeda movement. Shown in an orange jumpsuit, Berg identified himself in the video, and then was decapitated. A CIA source was quoted as stating that the masked man who read the statement and carried out the killing was "with high probability" al-Zarqawi.

Berg's body was returned to his family for burial.

Last updated: June 07, 2004.

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