http://au.news.yahoo.com//040512/15/oyu8.html
Thursday May 13, 05:02 AM
Hizbollah Slams Beheading of American as Un-Islamic
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Hizbollah guerrilla group
condemned Wednesday the beheading of an American hostage by
Iraqi militants as an ugly crime that flouted the tenets of
Islam.
"Hizbollah condemns this horrible act that has done very
great harm to Islam and Muslims by this group that claims
affiliation to the religion of mercy, compassion and humane
principles," the Shi'ite Muslim group said in a statement.
An Islamist Web site Tuesday carried a video clip of the
execution of the man who identified himself as Nick Berg, with
a statement saying a group linked to al Qaeda did it in revenge
for the abuse of Iraqis by U.S. troops.
Hizbollah said Berg's killing had diverted the world's gaze
from an escalating furor over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by
occupation soldiers.
"The timing of this act that overshadowed the scandal over
the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in occupation forces prisons is
suspect timing that aims to serve the American administration
and occupation forces in Iraq and present excuses and pretexts
for their inhumane practices against Iraqi detainees."
The Syrian-backed group which the United States deems
"terrorist" said the executors' behavior was closer to "the
Pentagon school -- the school of killing and occupation and
crimes and torture and immoral practices that were exposed by
the great scandal in occupation prisons."
Washington blames Hizbollah, whose attacks forced Israeli
troops to withdraw from south Lebanon in 2000 after a 22-year
occupation, for 1980s suicide bombings against its embassy and
Marines barracks and the abduction of Westerners in Beirut.
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