World reels in horror over beheading

LONDON – World leaders reeled in horror and revulsion on yesterday over the beheading of a US hostage whose blood-chilling execution by his masked captors was shown on a website video.

The White House vowed the United States would hunt down those who carried out the murder of Nick Berg, a 26-year-old businessman from Pennsylvania who had been missing in Iraq since mid-April. “It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom,” spokesman Scott McClellan said.”They have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children.We will pursue those who are responsible and bring them to justice.”US lawmakers demanded the Arab world condemn the killing of the American civilian as strongly as they had condemned abuse of prisoners by US troops at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib jail.On the streets of Baghdad, Iraqis spoke out against the grisly killing but said it was a natural reaction to the torture of prisoners by the occupation forces and feared worse was to come.In a grainy video on an Islamist website linked to the Al-Qaeda terror network, Berg was shown being decapitated with a large knife by a group of masked men who claimed their action was in revenge for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.After the killing, shouts of “Allahu akbar” (God is great) are heard and then the men hold up the head up to the camera.Berg’s remains were found Saturday by US troops along a road near Baghdad.Pictures of Berg in the moments before his execution were carried around the world on the front-pages of newspapers and in television footage, overshadowing a scandal over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US and British troops that inflamed the Arab world.The gruesome manner of the slaying was similar to the 2002 killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan by Al-Qaeda followers.”This was a truly barbaric act and there is no justification for this kind of act in a civilised world,” said a spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the top US ally in Iraq.The Foreign Office said it was “utterly repugnant and indefensible.”Another staunch US ally, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, vowed that the “depraved” act would not force Australian troops out of Iraq.”There’s no excuse for what those Americans have been doing in those prisons but there’s no doubt that some of the people they’re dealing with are barbaric,” added Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.US lawmakers reacted with outrage.”I am eagerly awaiting public apologies and condemnation from leaders in the Arab world expressing their own personal outrage at the barbaric murder of Nick Berg, an innocent civilian,” said Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado.”The image of these murderers is a shocking reminder of the people we’re up against,” House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay said.”They are not soldiers.They’re monsters, they’re terrorists, and we will not rest until every last one of them is in a cell or a cemetery.Japan called for the swift arrest of those who carried out the “merciless” killing.”It was an unforgivable act and we strongly condemn it,” foreign ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima said.Reaction in Baghdad was mixed.”As Muslims we can’t accept it, but we don’t blame them.It was a natural reaction to the human rights violations we have seen at Abu Ghraib.What the Americans are doing now is terrible,” said a 45-year-old woman dentist.”Since the man came here to do something good for Iraq, it was shameful.Whoever comes to serve this country will be treated kindly by Iraqis, but I blame the Americans for being behind such activities,” said restaurant worker Falah Faisal, 30.- Nampa-AFP”It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom,” spokesman Scott McClellan said.”They have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children.We will pursue those who are responsible and bring them to justice.”US lawmakers demanded the Arab world condemn the killing of the American civilian as strongly as they had condemned abuse of prisoners by US troops at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib jail.On the streets of Baghdad, Iraqis spoke out against the grisly killing but said it was a natural reaction to the torture of prisoners by the occupation forces and feared worse was to come.In a grainy video on an Islamist website linked to the Al-Qaeda terror network, Berg was shown being decapitated with a large knife by a group of masked men who claimed their action was in revenge for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.After the killing, shouts of “Allahu akbar” (God is great) are heard and then the men hold up the head up to the camera.Berg’s remains were found Saturday by US troops along a road near Baghdad.Pictures of Berg in the moments before his execution were carried around the world on the front-pages of newspapers and in television footage, overshadowing a scandal over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US and British troops that inflamed the Arab world.The gruesome manner of the slaying was similar to the 2002 killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan by Al-Qaeda followers.”This was a truly barbaric act and there is no justification for this kind of act in a civilised world,” said a spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the top US ally in Iraq.The Foreign Office said it was “utterly repugnant and indefensible.”Another staunch US ally, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, vowed that the “depraved” act would not force Australian troops out of Iraq.”There’s no excuse for what those Americans have been doing in those prisons but there’s no doubt that some of the people they’re dealing with are barbaric,” added Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.US lawmakers reacted with outrage.”I am eagerly awaiting public apologies and condemnation from leaders in the Arab world expressing their own personal outrage at the barbaric murder of Nick Berg, an innocent civilian,” said Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado.”The image of these murderers is a shocking reminder of the people we’re up against,” House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay said.”They are not soldiers.They’re monsters, they’re terrorists, and we will not rest until every last one of them is in a cell or a cemetery.Japan called for the swift arrest of those who carried out the “merciless” killing.”It was an unforgivable act and we strongly condemn it,” foreign ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima said.Reaction in Baghdad was mixed.”As Muslims we can’t accept it, but we don’t blame them.It was a natural reaction to the human rights violations we have seen at Abu Ghraib.What the Americans are doing now is terrible,” said a 45-year-old woman dentist.”Since the man came here to do something good for Iraq, it was shameful.Whoever comes to serve this country will be treated kindly by Iraqis, but I blame the Americans for being behind such activities,” said restaurant worker Falah Faisal, 30.- Nampa-AFP