Video shows American hostage beheaded

[meegbear]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An Islamic Web site showed video of an American hostage in Iraq being beheaded by members of insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group.

The video showed American Eugene Armstrong sitting in front of five masked insurgents -- four of them armed with assault rifles and one in the middle reading from a paper statement.

"We will apply God's law on them," a masked man said just before the killing.

Armstrong wore an orange jumpsuit and was blindfolded, with his arms behind him. He occasionally fidgeted while the statement was being read.

A U.S. official said a body believed to be that of an American has been recovered.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/09/20/iraq.main/index.html

[Eloriel]

1. I wonder if this one's more credible than the Berg video?

Are these current hostages contractors, mercenaries, or what? (One part of the news cycle I missed.)

[Night Gal]

3. Does it make a difference?

I hate this stuff.
Right or wrong, those are our people being killed.

[Mandate My Ass]

6. Ummmm

About a thousand of theirs are being killed for every one of ours.

But, yeah, the beheading stuff is wrong.

[Indie Media Magazine]

20. +1 but this is still horrible news. Like the US Govt did anythign to try

and stop it........

[AFSCME girl]

11. Hi Eloriel..

I think they (all three) are contractors. BTW, this is a dumb question, but do you suppose AWOL B*sh sleeps well at night? :grr:

[gatorboy]

18. Wasn't Bush in bed by 11:00 on 9/11/01?

He sleeps very well...

[AFSCME girl]

25. Hi gatorboy...

...silly me, I forgot about that little detail :eyes:

[AndyTiedye]

43. His Friend Jack Daniels Helps Him Get To Sleep

[Catfight]

2. I'd rather be beheaded than alive after torture and rape. n/t

[alittlelark]

15. I'd rather be alive...

To hunt down and kill the person/people who did it.

[rumguy]

22. I'll take the torture

Anything's better than having your head sawed off with a dull knife by fanatical freaks...

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

4. Poor families...

I really feel sorry for them... just another little "present" from BushCo and their misguided war in Iraq...

[Carolab]

42. One of the wives

I recall, stated that she thought the captors would realize that the three were "friends of Iraq, people who were there trying to help". I don't think they are capable of viewing contractors as having some kind of altruistic motives for being in their country.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

5. "Bush 'pleased with the progress' in Iraq"

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/18/bush.iraq/index.html

Saturday, September 18, 2004 Posted: 2357 GMT (0757 HKT)



"The Iraqis are defying the dire predictions of a lot of people by moving toward democracy," Bush told the paper. "It's hard to get to democracy from tyranny. It's hard work. And yet, it's necessary work. But it's necessary work because a democratic Iraq will make the world a freer place and a more peaceful place.

"I'm pleased with the progress," Bush said. "It's hard. Don't get me wrong. It's hard because there are some in Iraq who want to disrupt the election and disrupt the march to democracy, which should speak to their fear of freedom."

The president described the best-case scenario for Iraq as "elections and a free Iraq emerging."

"But I fully understand how hard it is for democracy to grow in a country that has been under a leader that tortured and killed and maimed his people," he said.

[Lexboy1981]

7. Hmmmmmmmmm

The speaker on the tape called US President Bush "a dog" and addressed him, saying, "Now, you have people who love death just like you love life. Killing for the sake of God is their best wish, getting to your soldiers and allies are their happiest moments, and cutting the heads of the criminal infidels is implementing the orders of our lord."

[allemand]

13. Der Stürmer used the Star of David like that in nazi propaganda.

I don't think we should.

[Wednesdays]

17. I second that

The inference is a fallacy, anyway. The Jewish vote is going to trend Democratic this year, as is usally the case.

[Yupster]

38. There's been some positive missives

coming out of the Arab press lately condemning the beheadings, suicide bombings and Russian school massacre, and examining the culture that breeds them.

Really, the only thing which can stop the world-wide terrorism is Islamic opinion. There have been some hopeful signs of introspection lately.

[bluestateguy]

8. This is sad and regrettable

I regret that the US could not work out a prisoner exchange, as has been done in wars for thousands of years.

Yet supporters of this Administration need to appreciate that its policies are enraging people all over the world, thus giving us more tragedies like this one.

[qwertyMike]

9. The US didn't even respond to them

Are Iraqi women being held in prison?
Could have released them.

[leftynyc]

10. He can't respond to them.

That will encourage more kidnappings. That's one thing I wont call * on. You cannot negotiate with a gun to your head.

Prayers for the families involved.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Magleetis]

14. Speaking of glass

Looking into my crystal ball I see a tombstone in your future.

[The_Casual_Observer]

16. Would that be before or after we complete the "liberation"?

After all your commander in chief just last week claimed that they are marching toward freedom.

[Bandit]

31. Seems like quite a few countries have done just that

They all got their prisoners back intact. But will america ever do that? No way in hell. We would rather be right and have a bunch of dead Americans without their heads than back down one inch. Sometimes America isn't always right. You think by refusing to even listen to their demands that we won't have any more Americans kidnapped?

[qwertyMike]

48. Women

[samtob]

21. Only two

according to reports on several news outlets. Both were part of Saddam's administration / party, whatever it was called.

[Career Prole]

26. Hell, who knows? We already have been exposed for keeping "ghost

prisoners" off official lists and for losing track of other prisoners.

[ilovenicepeople]

19. I'm just wondering?

Who are those people behind the covered faces?Just wondering? Resume the Muslim hatefest.:cry:

[rumguy]

23. uhh..please don't start up with the CIA did it bullshit

I hate that crap - it's like pissing on a grave...

[rumguy]

24. Resume the muslim hate fest?

There's no hate fest going on here...

But for the record - those who did this deserve to die.

[DrWeird]

27. What's worse?

Having your head cut off by Iraqis or having your head blown off by an American sniper?

[Lexboy1981]

28. Hmmm hard choice

worst is to be beheaded .

[LisaL]

29. Then I wouldn't recommend

going to work in Iraq.

[Yupster]

34. You'd never know it

if a sniper blew your head off.

Having your head sawed off, especially after the theatre of the videotaping is far worse.

[NNN0LHI]

50. You are speaking of a clean kill, Sir

Something that happens very seldom in the real world. That is the reason for the nearly 7000 wounded soldiers accounted for so far. Many with legs, arms, eyes, and other body parts missing.

Don

[Piperay]

46. Having your head cut off

seems worse to me. x( I would rather be blown up cause at least you don't know it's coming and it's fast.

[rfkrocks]

30. even if you assume that crazy shrub's war was right

you have to come to a conclusion that the US looks incredibly weak-in a country we supposedly occupied we can't stop people who are citizens from being kidnapped and beheaded-the US has never looked weaker-so how is Kerry weaker than Shrub:shrug:

[Comadreja]

44. It shows the ineffectiveness of a military answer

Unleashing the might of a military superpower on "terror" is only producing piles of corpses, almost NONE of whom had anything to do with the 9/11 attack. The real terrorists are the ones who commit this type of crime, but we don't catch them (or Osama et al). Why not? Our ham-fisted indiscriminate slaughter has ended any cooperation or sympathy from the citizenry.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

32. I was hoping against hope this wouldn't happen

But I also knew Zarqawi's record on this and feared the worst...sadly my worst fears have been realized

This is yet another senseless, pointless and horrific killing in a senseless, pointless and horrific conflict

My sincere and heartfelt thoughts, prayers and condolences are extended to the family and friends of Eugene Armstrong. May his memory live on

[tnf]

33. Gruesome, horrible.

http://www.ogrish.com/

This site has the beheading, and it is horrible. Download only if you've prepared yourself.

The beheadings wouldn't be happening if Bush hadn't started this outrageous, unnecessary, and pointless war. What are we doing in Iraq besides offering up innocent victims for slaughter and killing innocent Iraqis?

[Yupster]

35. Let's blame Zarqawi too

He's not even an Iraqi.

[stacysangeltouch]

36. FFSTV

Great Bush and war topic on FSTV

[stacysangeltouch]

39. Whoops

FSTV (Free Speech TV)

[LisaL]

37. He also has one leg only

and maybe already dead.

[jayfish]

40. Ya Know... I Wish People Would Stop Plastering...

that site all over the place without some explicit warnings. The videos and images at that site can disturb even the most desensitized among us. If you want people to know you have seen the video... great. If someone asks you for the address, forward it in a private manner.

Jay

[The_Casual_Observer]

41. Where is our boy Negroponte?

He did such a great job on the run up to the war in the UN, and now look at this mess. More rw nitwit boys trying to a man's job.

[SKKY]

45. All of this makes me sick to my stomach and makes me wonder...

...how is it that we're winning the war on terror. I just don't know. I thought I was jaded to these videos- but I guess not.

[saigon68]

47. I saw the wife on TV

After all that has happened the killings bombings snipings I wondered why some one would be in Iraq-Nam . The family members said the Guards employed by the "Contractors" "took the night off"--- (amazing saw this in Nam before the rocket attacks.)</sarcasm>

When I asked my wife why she though Bulah let her husband go to IRAQ-Nam-- My Wife replied the $$$$$$$$$ @ $2,000.00 per day. after all these guys were highly trained engineers building the new 14 US bases.

[Tracer]

49. Yes! The wife of the "still-alive" hostage ...

... pleaded for her husband's life saying that he was only in Iraq to help the Iraqis to build a better life.

Then she let slip that what her husband was building was one of the 14 NEW MILITARY BASES.

Now, I don't know if the kidnappers were aware of this or not, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.