The Agonist: Bloggers doubt Berg execution video: "Even at first glance, internet bloggers were asking on Thursday why Nick Berg was wearing an orange jumpsuit – just like US prisoners wear. Other net-surfers point to the unlikely timing of the executioner's dubbed announcement that Berg was to die for "Iraqi prisoner abuse".... Some discussions focus on the timing of the video's release - guaranteed to divert attention from the outrage regarding US torture of Iraqis."

"However, the circumstances of the video release are also strange. A Reuters journalist in Dubai first named the Muntada al-Ansar al-Islami website as the source for the video – at www.al-ansar.biz. Although the site has now been shut down, Aljazeera.net had looked at the site within ninety minutes of the story breaking – and could find no such video footage. But Fox News, CNN and the BBC were all able to download the footage from the Arabic-only website and report the story within the hour."

The questions are legitimate, and the matter is worthy of investigation. This incident shows how the footage, although revolting, must be made available for critical examination. Any agency - government, military or media - which suggests that the footage ought be withheld, can only be contributing to a possible coverup. The same of course applies for any other evidence of crimes. In other words no authority could possibly be trusted and the public (ie, 'blogosphere'?) must have access to all sources and evidence.

The Agonist: Bloggers doubt Berg execution video: "Even at first glance, internet bloggers were asking on Thursday why Nick Berg was wearing an orange jumpsuit – just like US prisoners wear. Other net-surfers point to the unlikely timing of the executioner's dubbed announcement that Berg was to die for "Iraqi prisoner abuse".... Some discussions focus on the timing of the video's release - guaranteed to divert attention from the outrage regarding US torture of Iraqis."

"However, the circumstances of the video release are also strange. A Reuters journalist in Dubai first named the Muntada al-Ansar al-Islami website as the source for the video – at www.al-ansar.biz. Although the site has now been shut down, Aljazeera.net had looked at the site within ninety minutes of the story breaking – and could find no such video footage. But Fox News, CNN and the BBC were all able to download the footage from the Arabic-only website and report the story within the hour."

The questions are legitimate, and the matter is worthy of investigation. This incident shows how the footage, although revolting, must be made available for critical examination. Any agency - government, military or media - which suggests that the footage ought be withheld, can only be contributing to a possible coverup. The same of course applies for any other evidence of crimes. In other words no authority could possibly be trusted and the public (ie, 'blogosphere'?) must have access to all sources and evidence.