Bizarre coincidence

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-05-18 05:38pm

WEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- When Nicholas Berg took an Oklahoma bus to a remote college campus a few years ago, the American recently beheaded by terrorists allowed a man with terrorist connections to use his laptop computer, according to his father.

Michael Berg said the FBI investigated the matter more than a year ago. He stressed that his son was in no way connected to the terrorists who captured and killed him.

Government sources told CNN that the encounter involved an acquaintance of Zacarias Moussaoui -- the only person publicly charged in the United States in connection with the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

According to Berg, his son was taking a course a few years ago at a remote campus of the University of Oklahoma near an airport. He described how on one particular day, his son met "some terrorist people -- who no one knew were terrorists at the time."

At one point during the bus ride, Berg said, the man sitting next to his son asked if he could use Nick's laptop computer.

"It turned out this guy was a terrorist and that he, you know, used my son's e-mail, amongst many other people's e-mail who he did the same thing to," Berg said.

Government sources said Berg gave the man his password, which was later used by Moussaoui, the sources said.

The sources said the man who used Berg's e-mail knew Moussaoui, now awaiting trial on federal charges that could bring a death sentence. But the sources would not disclose details of how the men were connected.

Moussaoui, 36, was arrested in August 2001 after he aroused suspicion at a Minnesota flight school when he arrived for 747 simulator training without holding a pilot's license. A French national of Moroccan descent, Moussaoui has admitted in open court that he belonged to al Qaeda, the radical Islamic group behind the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

But Moussaoui has fiercely denied being involved in the September 11 plot, and the prosecutors' theory of his role has shifted from being a possible 20th hijacker that day to possibly piloting a fifth hijacked jetliner targeting the White House.

Berg said his son cooperated fully with an FBI investigation into the matter.

"He was happy to cooperate, and that was never an issue," he said. He emphasized that the individual was not a friend of his son's or even an acquaintance -- "just a guy sitting next to him on the bus."

"Whoever was next to my son was treated with great respect and friendship. Like I said, he knew no dangers from people. The FBI were satisfied with that."

I almost didn't believe it when I heard about it on the radio. What are the odds of this?

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-05-18 05:41pm

Let the conspiracy theories begin.

Kamakazie Sith · Post by **Kamakazie Sith** » 2004-05-18 06:31pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:Let the conspiracy theories begin.

They started on day one.

So far I've heard the beheading was a fake.

The US military killed him, this one is the worst because of the following; (the evidence they use for this is because supposedly the chair in the video tape is the same brand and model that is used at Abu Ghraib)

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-05-18 06:35pm

If the beheading was staged by US intel. services, what kind of shitstorm could we be facing? I doubt anyone in the gov't would survive it, if it did happen.

GySgt. Hartman · Post by **GySgt. Hartman** » 2004-05-18 06:41pm

Why would they do that? That's complete BS, unworthy of the title "theory".

Back on topic: How many hundreds of people have met Moussaoui and exchanged a few words with him? And if I had a laptop and another student told me he had to write a short mail to a friend, why shouldn't I let him?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-05-18 06:42pm

GySgt. Hartman wrote:Why would they do that? That's complete BS, unworthy of the title "theory".

No idea, but I hear it more and more now.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2004-05-18 07:53pm

I haven't seen the video of it, but I've run across claims that his beheading didn't show the sort of blood you'd expect from severed arteries....

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-05-18 08:04pm

GySgt. Hartman wrote:Why would they do that? That's complete BS, unworthy of the title "theory".

Simple, to try to enrage Americans against the Iraqi insurgents which could divert attention away from the Abu Gharib prison scandel which has taken 10% off of GWB's approval ratings.

Now, I'm not saying I believe that, just that its a decent motive. Even though it really hasn't worked as well as it should have had this been engineered by the US, it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. Even if Bush didn't do it, he certainly took advantage of it to try to bolster himself politically.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2004-05-18 09:38pm

I've watched the video, and enhanced-volume clips of some guy off-camera saying either "thy will be done" or some arab talk that sounds like it. It's all around the net.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2004-05-18 09:42pm

Here's one place to hear it

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-05-18 09:42pm

Frank Hipper wrote:I haven't seen the video of it, but I've run across claims that his beheading didn't show the sort of blood you'd expect from severed arteries....

Of course those people probably are also expected Quentin Tarintinoesque fountains of blood as well.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2004-05-18 09:47pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:I haven't seen the video of it, but I've run across claims that his beheading didn't show the sort of blood you'd expect from severed arteries....
Of course those people probably are also expected Quentin Tarintinoesque fountains of blood as well.

When I saw the video of the russian guy getting sliced in the neck, blood was pouring out of him. It may not have been cartoonish spray, but it wasn't the trickle the Berg video seems to show.