French President Jacques Chirac and German President Gerhard Schroeder on Thursday condemned the killing of a young American reportedly in revenge for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in US-run prisons in Iraq.
Chirac called the killing of 26-year-old civilian Nicolas Berg "a horror ... an unimaginable act."
Berg, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was shown being decapitated on a videotape posted Tuesday by an al-Qaida-linked Web site. Berg's captors said they were acting to avenge the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
Meanwhile, Schroeder, in what appeared to be his first remarks on the prisoner abuse allegations leveled against US forces in Iraq, said that the American response shows the strength of US democracy.
"It speaks for the strength of American democracy how they have immediately started getting to the bottom of this," he said. "That deserves a place in how we judge America if we're fair, which we should be."
"One can't have indulgence for torture but cannot forget the other aspect," he said.
The beheading of Berg confirmed the fears of many in the administration of US President George W. Bush that the prison-abuse scandal would have dire consequences for Americans in Iraq.
{{/usCountry}}The beheading of Berg confirmed the fears of many in the administration of US President George W. Bush that the prison-abuse scandal would have dire consequences for Americans in Iraq.
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