Reply #71: Yes, this struck me, too: "...looking into the human rights violations of

[Peace Patriot]

Iraqi detainees by the U.S. military."

Why would he be a threat to anyone in Iraq--other than to the U.S.-installed gov't, U.S./Iraqi death squads and the U.S. military?

No threat to the Iraqi people. No threat to the rebels. Who does his death benefit?

I think we've have to get a lot smarter about events like this, and not accept any assertions about it from the war profiteering corporate news monopolies.

The beheading of Nicholas Berg in May '04 was a similar event, in regard to who benefits, and also, most of the truth being invisible (with just a few little tips of the iceberg sticking up). (For instance: Nicholas Berg's email address and account password turning up in Zacharias Moussaoui's computer--the one Colleen Rowley couldn't get access to, prior to 9/11. Yes, the same Nicholas Berg who, four years later, was beheaded on video by masked assassins, in Iraq, after 10 days in U.S. custody--in the midst of the pre-election Abu Ghraib torture revelations.)

My heart goes out to Tom's family and friends. Whatever the truth is about his death, I know he was working for the good--and his life and his courage give me hope that the good will prevail.