I can't even fathom the anguish of Berg's parents who not only must deal with the grief of their son's murder, but also with the fact that video of the beheading is available to anyone with Internet access.
When the war in Iraq first started going sour for the U.S., colleagues from the Israeli newspaper where I was working said the Americans had no idea what they were doing. But apparently this is true not only of the politicians and the military, but to the general public as well. My sympathies go out to Berg's family, but news reports Thursday said he went there to rebuild the cellular infrastructure in the country. I guess Iraqi militants don't appreciate the value of checking email via mobile phone.
Haaretz reported Thursday that Berg was Jewish, which some said may have played a role in his execution, if his captors discovered this fact. (The headline on Haaretz was: 'American Jew Nick Berg, beheaded in Iraq, was becoming more religious.' Is it just me or does this sound like a headline one would find on The Onion?)
In a display of deep understanding of the risks in Iraq, the article quotes Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, as saying: "Jews will always be more vulnerable in Iraq." So I hope that after Hoenlein's statement, we'll all be a little bit more careful.
