Horrible tragedy

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I just want to warn people to think twice about viewing the video. Although I didn't see this one and I don't care to, I did hear the audio on a radio talk show. Not pleasant. I did however, view a video a year or so ago of a "supposed" captured Russian soldier in Chechnya, who was also beheaded with a knife. Needless to say, it was quite upsetting. I didn't know I would react like that. It's a picture you can't get out of your head. I almost had to pull over on the way home and throw up. Call me a pussy or whatever you want, but it's an image I can't get out of my head.

It's a horrible thing to happen. I haven't seen it and I don't think I would be able to take it.I do think, however, that there needs to be care there isn't a double standard. The people tortured and (it seems) sometimes raped or murdered in Iraqi jails under US and British command were mainly not soldiers either. If we say "this is what Iraqis are like" - which is false logic, geralising from the actions of a very few - we shouldn't be surprised if the Iraqi people, with equal logic, say "this is what Westerners are like". If we shrug our shoulders and say, "this is what war is like" over bad things we do, we can't complain if the other side expresses the same sentiments.The people who did this beheading, and those who ordered it, should be found, tried and punished. But so should those who mistreated prisoners. Neither excuses the other.

Ineligible I see your point. I really do. My question however is do people really think Iraqi soldiers are going to keep our boys alive while they're being held prisoner? Absolutely not. I don't think there should be prisoners of war. And you know, I was to the point where I agreed that our soldiers shouldn't have been abusing their prisoners...but I'm going to start singing another tune, mournful, melancholy, and angry because I honestly think war is war. You kill our soldiers, we kill yours. No one thinks that's how it should be though, so our kids are expected play nice while they are being shot. You shoot, we shoot. That's my adopted philosophy.I just saw a man's head hacked off at the neck. He wasn't beheaded and it wasn't "chopped" off. It was hacked. I'll never forget it. But what will haunt me forever is the sound of him screaming. And the man in the mask who held the young man's head up like it was supposed to be a trophy that was supposed to strike fear into someone. I'm not scared anymore. I'm pissed. I'm so angry that people can complain about how we're mistreating prisoners of war when American prisoners are probably experiencing worse abuse at the hands of Iraqi soldiers. Yeah, that group was an extremist group...but aren't wars fought by what people call extremists? How different is it really?

Could someone please send me the video as well ? Or give me a link (in PM or email or whatever) where I can watch it ? I'd like to pitch in my 2 cents here but I don't think I can without having seen the movie.

I tell you now, you do not want to see what I saw. I will never be the same again. I didn't sleep well last night. I tossed and turned all night. I felt like I needed to sleep with my bedside table lamp on. And the urge to be a small child and run to mom and dad's was so strong, I don't know how I resisted it. Even now, I can hear him screaming. It really is awful. I don't think anyone should have to see what I saw, however, I will search for it (I've deleted it from my computer) and PM it to you. I will not post the link here, I think that would be unappropriate as there are young children here who shouldn't see. Some adults (me being on of them) shouldn't see it either.

Like I explained before and cenfath can corroborate. Don't view this video. Nothing good will come of it. Seriously, you can't get the sound and picture out of your head. There are websites out there with the video if you know where to look.

In some ways i agree with sdp. this video is too intense to be viewed entirely. Personally I kept clicking the close box as soon as the muslim masked killer yanked the guy onto his side. Just could not get past that point.But well, it seems the world marches on with the anti-american drum beat focused on a few derelict soldiers in abu ghraib prison. Most newspapers are having a field day with this story which is nowhere near representative of american actions in iraq. This beheading story is a nuisance and a distraction from the hate campaign against america. Most people, especially the arab media, probably put this story on page 7 of the newspaper instead of page 1 where it might cause others to pause and question the civility of mid-east muslim culture. Others have told me this act doesn't represent the whole mid-eastern culture. But I'm starting to think it does, and thats why Americans are having a difficult time in Iraq. 3 important points of why i think it does represent a culture problem:1. mid-eastern newspapers (the media ofte being an accurate reflection of the culture that supprots it) gave short notice to this beheading incident (and the fallujah incident) compared with the gala page-after-page coverage of abu ghraib.2. In picture after picture noted in Newsweek, for example, ids are encouraged to partake in the violence. Look at the pictures of toothy grins by 9 year olds as they watch others get tortured. No adult steps in to censor them! Whole sizeable crowds are present but every one of the adults stands idly by why kids are exposed to this. Not representative?3. Remember when we occupied Japan after WWII? Why didn't they give us trouble, dragging americans through the street and hurling themselves into crowds with suicidal intent? the japanese were more concerned with rebuilding than fighting. So their culture flourished. In Iraq bloodshed is more important. Their overall attitude is to hell with rebuilding schools and hospitals. Their communities are held together by war not progress. Those in Iraq who are against the war will not rally together to support reconstruction. They are silent while americans are getting crucified for their freedom.

Sdp - I do very much corroborate. I can still hear the screaming. I can't stand it.And I may get jumped on for this but by God, I'm giving my opinion on this and it's a pretty big stand:I'm not a republican and I'm not a democrat and in fact I can't stand political parties at all though I'm registed as a republican. I vote for the person who I think will do a better job. I didn't want to vote because I didn't want to vote for either one of the monkey's running for office.With that said, I will continue to support the president regardless of whether or not I voted for him or whether or not I think he should be in office. And simply because if we don't back our leaders regardless of whether or not we think they should be in office or the reasons why they do things it makes us look weak as a nation to fighting amongst ourselves and against the people we put in power. People want to attack us and hurt us and they will keep succeeding as long as we, the people, refuse to work and stand together.In regards to the war I am very opinionated. That's not to say my opinion is wrong or right, it's just my opinion and it's not changing and people may view me differently after this post but I hope not since I've been fairly open about what I think of the war since the beginning:There were several reasons for going to war and as I'm sure most of you the reason they try to cover up is oil. And I'm sure it's probably the biggest. Despite this poor motive for going to war I'm sure it was not the only motive. Do we need to bring the events of 9/11 back into play? Has anyone really forgotten? I should hope to shout not. The primary motive for going to war was not the best one but something needed to be done. We've made our bed and now we must lie in it. What happened Al Ghraib is a terrible thing. It shouldn't have happened and if it hadn't Nick Berg may have still been alive today, but I doubt it. What happened to that young man and what his family is going through right now is awful. I hate that any mother or father would have to lose their child the way they did. Now as it stands we need to quit pussyfooting around and do what we were supposed to go over there to do. War is not a game of patty-cake. It's not pretty and fluffy with flowers all over it. Soldiers (real people.....our friends, our neighbors, brothers, sisters...maybe even parents) are going to die. Full quarter should be given to prisoners in my personal opinion. However, allow me to play the devil's advocate for a moment. Does anyone really plan to close their eyes to the possibility that Iraqi soliders treat their prisons just as bad if not worse than American soldiers treated their prisoners at Abu Ghraib? The difference is, they haven't been caught so no one cares. I do though. I do. I have a few friends in the Marines who are the front lines and I know that if they're caught, they're as good as dead. If you're looking at all normal details two wrongs don't make a right. But war isn't normal. Nothing is right. You do what you have to do to survive. That's a cold truth that too many people don't want to face. The sad thing is, now it's involved a civilian who was only trying to help. As horrible as this post probably makes me sound, I'm just saying my opinion of what I know. I watched the video. I watched that man die a horrible, brutal death and only a human could do that. I've heard people call them animals. No, only a human would kill someone out of hate. And it takes a coward to kill with a mask on. I was upset for the remainder of the day yesterday. I was freaked out by what I saw I slept with a bedside table lamp on all night. I didn't sleep well. I tossed and turned. I kept seeing him...his face. I kept hearing the screams. I've been at home by myself for the last few hours and I was never more thrilled to see my sister and brother come home arguing because I could still hear him screaming in my mind all day. It's something you never forget. I wondered what he must have been thinking before it happened. I wondered how he must have felt feeling what he felt and after they cut vocal chords not be able to scream from the pain. I wondered how long he actually suffered before he finally died. And watching that video it felt like watching it in slow motion. You kept hearing the screams even after they stopped and you just wanted him to shut up and quit screaming because you felt helpless and you wanted to do something but it was already too late. And you think to yourself about all the movies you've watched when you see someone beheaded and when you watch the video it seems fake to you because you've seen it. Only you know it's real and you just want to pretend that it's only make-believe but you know in the back of your mind what you just saw really happened and you never fully convince yourself that it did. I am changed forever. I don't know if it's for the better or for the worse. I am a student studying nursing. I can handle blood all day. I couldn't yesterday...it's different when the patient comes in with something done to them and they're bleeding. It's quite a different story when you watch it with your own eyes. It's heart and gut wrenching and you just want to throw up. And you never fully know what to really think about what you've just seen. I have a big heart that is easily crushed and I like to believe the best of everyone. Last night, it was sliced, diced, minced, and crushed.

well,my friend in israel.
he lost 12 soldiers from his immediate unit this week,all blown to pieces and their body parts paraded.he lost this friends man.i feel for him.
as for the beheading muslims have a way to slaughter animals "painlessly",but for a man they hacked his fucking head off?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
thats not hala'al pal!!!
they should all die the same deaths(exremists).painful and inhumane.
it's dark ages stuff.like when they would stick people head on sticks.

Ugh... the beheading was truly disgusting. I cannot believe that humans are capable of such acts.
However, I also cannot agree with some of the suggestions on this thread that we treat like with like. There are, of course, two ways to bring Iraq closer to American values. We may either raise the condition of that country or lower our own standards to meet them somewhere in the middle. When these tragedies happen, I sometimes worry that we plan on taking the second route.
Torture and murder is not the way for America. We should see the recent violence as an indication of how difficult our task in Iraq truly is, not as an invitation for further violence.