Alex Rodriguez

. government. Had he attended the first class, the Mariners would have been unable by Major League Baseball rules to sign him, and no one would have been able to draft him for 2 more years. He also states that they attempted a prisoner exchange with Nick Berg and was rebuffed by the U.S. He had even enrolled in classes, but on his way to the first class he met a scout for the Mariners who offered a large signing bonus and he signed ending his college career before it began. He claims that he killed Nick Berg, Kim Sun-il and Iraqis who collaborated with the American forces. While in high school, Rodriguez had signed a letter of intent with the University to play baseball. On August 5th, Nouvel Observateur published a feature story by Sara Daniel detailing her meeting with one Abu Rashid, a leader of the mujahadeen council in Fallujah.

In 2003, Alex Rodriguez gave a $10 million gift to the University of Miami to build a new baseball stadium. Two were later released after questioning. was the previous record holder by reaching 400 home runs at 30 years and 141 days old. On May 18, citing "Iraq Sources", Sky News reported that four people had been arrested for the murder. Ken Griffey, Jr. Berg gave the details of his own email account and password, which were later used by Moussaoui. On June 8th, Rodriguez hit his 400th career home run, becoming the youngest player in Major League history to do so at 29 years and 316 days old. This person had asked to borrow Berg's laptop computer to send an email.

Alex Rodriguez's salary of $25,705,118 is the highest in Major League Baseball in the 2005 season. Berg's email address had been used by Moussaoui prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks. According to Berg's father, Nick Berg had had a chance encounter with an acquaintance of Moussaoui on a bus in Norman, Oklahoma. But the umpires huddled and ended up calling him out, which made Jeter return to first base. This action by Rodriguez has given him a bad image, especially among Red Sox fans. government's investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui. Rodriguez was called safe at first, and Derek Jeter scored from first base. S. During the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, Alex Rodriguez caused controversey when he "slapped" the baseball out of pitcher Bronson Arroyo's glove when running to first base. On May 13, it was revealed that Nick Berg had been investigated during the U.

2 spot in the batting order, directly behind Jeter. I ask them to demand peace now."[13] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1221515,00.html). Near the end of the season, Yankees manager Joe Torre moved Rodriguez to the No. And I ask them to do more than pray. Rodriguez performed well, though average by his standards, in his first season with the Yankees, hitting .286 with 36 home runs and 106 runs batted in, his seventh consecutive season with at least 100 RBI. [12]  (http://www.timesherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11649649&BRD=1672&PAG=461&dept_id=33380&rfi=6) In a message to an anti-occupation demonstration in London, he asked the many people who offered to pray for Nick and his family to "include in their prayers a prayer for peace. There was some speculation as to what his number would be, but in spring training he showed up with uniform number 13, answering the question. I know it is considered a radical group".

He had worn uniform number 3 his entire career, but that number on the Yankees is retired in honor of Babe Ruth. I am proud to be a member of ANSWER and I plan to be at the march on June 5. In addition to moving from shortstop to third, Rodriguez had to make another change upon joining the Yankees. "I think stopping the war and ending racism are extremely important things that this world has to do right now. After Rodriguez agreed to switch positions and play third base, the deal between New York and Texas was consummated. The elder Berg said he has been a member of the anti-war activist group ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) since participating in a rally in Washington, D.C., in March 2003. Since New York already had a star shortstop in team captain Derek Jeter, the trade developed only after New York's third baseman, Aaron Boone, suffered a season-ending knee injury while playing a game of pickup basketball during the off-season. On May 14, Michael Berg attacked the Bush administration's foreign policy, blaming the American actions in Iraq for his son's death.

In the trade, the Rangers will have to pay $67 million of the $179 million left on Rodriguez's contract. I don't think this administration is committed to democracy." The FBI claims that Berg specifically refused government assistance in leaving Iraq. On February 15, 2004, after a period in which he had been courted by the Boston Red Sox and named as the Rangers' captain, Rodriguez was traded to the New York Yankees for second baseman Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named later. [2] His father reportedly stated: "I think a lot of people are fed up with the lack of civil rights this thing has caused. He hit .298 with 47 home runs, won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award and was named the league's MVP, despite the Rangers remaining mired in last place. Michael Berg stated that if his son hadn't been detained for so long, he might have been able to leave the country before the violence worsened. Rodriguez 's last season with Texas, 2003, was another productive year for A-Rod. government and policies that led to his arrest and detainment in April, for creating the circumstances that led to Nick's death.

Although Tejada had lesser numbers than Rodriguez, he played for a championship-caliber team. The Mariners didn't miss him; they won 116 games in their first year without him. Berg's family blamed the U.S. Unfortunately, the Rangers made no real improvement in the two years he played there, finishing last both times, and it likely cost him the MVP award in 2002, as he finished second to fellow shortstop Miguel Tejada. in Saudi Arabia, and South Korean Kim Sun-il in Iraq, both in June 2004. Despite the enormous pressure carried by the contract, Rodriguez continued to produce, and has been even better than before. He hit 52 home runs in 2001, and followed that up with a major league best 57 home runs in 2002, the most ever for a shortstop. He put a bookend on that year by winning his first Gold Glove Award. There were two subsequent similar beheadings also claimed by Islamic militants: American Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr. A free agent after the season, Rodriguez, who wanted to go to a Series-caliber team, was immediately rumored to be heading to the Mets because of his appearance at Shea, but instead chose to go to the Texas Rangers (last in their division in 2000), signing what is the largest contract in American sports history, a 10-year contract worth an astounding $252 million. Because of the contract, considered outrageous by many fans, Mariners fans that loved him immediately turned on him for taking the money and running instead of staying with a winner; to this day he's regularly booed every time he returns to Seattle. For further details, see Nick Berg conspiracy theories.

He still made an appearance in the Series, sitting in the stands of Shea Stadium watching his friend Derek Jeter play in that year's all-New York World Series between the Yankees and New York Mets. complicity in the death. Winning the AL West in 2000, Rodriguez hit well in the playoffs, but the Mariners lost to the World Series champion New York Yankees in the LCS. Conspiracy theories are forming suggesting U.S. Rodriguez continued to put up great numbers as the team's remaining superstar, and hit 41 more HR's in 2000 as he hit .316, doing so playing in the best pitcher's park in the AL. We will pursue those who are responsible and bring them to justice.". in the past two seasons. They have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children.

The Mariners entered 2000 with A-Rod as the cornerstone of the franchise, having dealt superstars Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey, Jr. [11] (http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/20645.htm) White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan commented, regarding the incident: "It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. Despite missing 30+ games with an injury and playing home games at Safeco Field (a considerably less hitter-friendly ballpark than the Kingdome) for the second half of the season, he matched his HR total in 1999. Others see Berg's slaying as a reminder of why the United States is waging a War on Terror. He recovered with authority in 1998 by becoming the 3rd member of the 40 homers/40 stolen bases club, racking up 42 HR and 46 SB. Islam does prohibit the killing or the maltreatment of prisoners." [10] (http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-05/12/article03.shtml). He hit for the cycle with them in 1997, but slumped that year with only 23 home runs and a "mere" .300 average; the Mariners nonetheless won the division but were quickly eliminated from the playoffs. Even if he was military personnel he should be treated as a prisoner who, according to Shari'ah, must not be killed." Iyaad Samarrai of the Islamic Party commented "This is absolutely wrong.

Rodriguez was a favorite with Mariners fans. Muthanna al-Dhari, a member of the Board of Muslim Clergy, said the act "does disservice to our religion and our cause. He came close to being the youngest MVP in baseball history, but fell 3 points short to Juan González; possibly denying him this honor were the two Seattle-area sportswriters who voted for the award, as they gave him 8th and 9th place votes. Iraqi conservative and fundamentalist religious leaders also denounced the killing. He took over as the regular shortstop the following year, and immediately became a superstar, hitting 36 home runs and pacing the American League with a .358 batting average, and leading the league in runs, total bases, and doubles; great numbers even by the standards of the Kingdome, one of the American League's best hitter's parks. Hezbollah issued a statement calling it a "horrible act that does an immense wrong to Islam and Muslims by a group which falsely pretends to follow the precepts of the religion of pardon.". One of his most important contributions in the playoffs was consoling second baseman Joey Cora, who memorably broke down in tears after the Mariners' loss in the League Championship Series. Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah and Palestinian nationalist group Hamas denounced the murder.

After his major league campaign in 1994 was cut short by the players' strike, he split most of 1995 between Seattle and their AAA club 30 miles away in Tacoma before staying on the major league roster in August, making a pair of postseason appearances on the Mariners' playoff run. Scholars at Al-Azhar University in Cairo issued a declaration of condemnation [9] (http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-05/12/article08.shtml), as did numerous Muslim groups in the West including the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He made a rapid rise through the organization and made his major league debut at just 18 years of age, becoming one of the youngest players to appear in a game at shortstop. In the Muslim world, the killing of Berg was strongly condemned. His skills were rewarded when the Seattle Mariners made the 17-year old the #1 pick of the amateur draft in 1993.
. Rodríguez was a star player at Miami Westminster Christian High School. The video bears some similarities to the videotape showing the murder and decapitation of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002. Like Pearl, Berg was Jewish, although it is uncertain whether his captors were aware of that. There are many differences noted with other decapitation videos, including the decapitation video of Paul Johnson in Saudi Arabia and the video of Kim Sun-il in Iraq.

Rodríguez has said in interviews he can forgive his father for abandoning the family, but that he will never forget. Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. There, Alex's father announced he had to go to New York for a short time; he never returned. President George W. They moved to Miami, Florida 4 years later. slaughtered in this way." The video further threatens U.S. Born in New York City, Rodríguez moved back with his parents to their native Dominican Republic when he was 4. You will not receive anything from us but coffins after coffins ..

Less than three weeks later, he was traded to the Yankees, the first reigning MVP to be traded in the history of Major League Baseball. During the video, the man reading the statement threatens further deaths: "We tell you that the dignity of the Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls. Then on January 25, 2004, he was named captain of the Rangers. Some aspects of the video may or do not support that it is al-Zarqawi ([7] (http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=2020) & [8] (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4FFA61A3-9C33-4597-A8D9-8079E91F2784.htm)). The Players Association blocked the deal, however, because the Red Sox wanted to cut Rodriguez's salary. On May 13, news outlets quoted a CIA source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, that a voice analysis of the tape has led the agency to conclude that the masked man who reads the statement and carries out the killing is "with high probability" al-Zarqawi. The following month the Rangers tried unsuccessfully to trade Rodriguez and his hefty salary to the Boston Red Sox. For more information on the questions being raised, see Nick Berg conspiracy theories.

It was the second time in MLB history that a player of a team finishing last in the league was given the award (Andre Dawson also won the award for the last place Chicago Cubs). Based on details seen in the video, some forensic experts ([6] (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FE22Ak03.html)) believe Berg was already dead at the time of the decapitation. On November 17, 2003, Rodriguez won his first American League Most Valuable Player award. government. He has been married to the former Cynthia Scurtis since November 2, 2002: the couple's first child, Natasha Alexander, was born on November 18, 2004. Questions exist regarding the circumstances of Berg's death, the authenticity of the video, and the claims made by the U.S. In 2003 he became the youngest player in major league history to reach 300 home runs, and, on June 8, 2005, he became the first to to hit 400 home runs before the age of 30. A scream can be heard as men shout "Allahu Akbar" (a common Arabic expression meaning "God is greatest!").

Rodriguez began his career as a shortstop, but switched positions to third base upon joining the Yankees. The masked men then converge on Berg and decapitate him with a knife. Starting his major league career with the Seattle Mariners, he signed an unprecedented free-agent deal with the Texas Rangers, before being traded to the New York Yankees. troops at Abu Ghraib prison. Alexander Emanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975 in New York City), nicknamed A-Rod, is widely regarded as one of the best players in Major League Baseball today and at a young age is already being talked about among the all-time greats. The statement says that Berg's killing was in direct retaliation for the abuse of prisoners by U.S. A lengthy statement is read aloud.

The video shows Berg surrounded by five men wearing ski masks and head scarves. I live in West Chester, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.". I have a brother and sister, David and Sarah. He identified himself: "My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Susan.

Berg is seen in the video wearing an orange jumpsuit. See: Internet Archive (http://web.archive.org/web/*/http%3A//www.al-ansar.biz/). The video is about five minutes and thirty-two seconds long. Both al-Zarqawi and Muntada al-Ansar are associated with the Al-Qaida movement.

On May 11, 2004, the website of the militant Islamist group Muntada al-Ansar [5] (http://www.al-ansar.biz/) allegedly broadcast a video with the opening title of "Abu Musa'b al-Zarqawi slaughters an American", which shows Berg being decapitated. Military sources stated publicly at that time that Berg's body showed "signs of trauma", but did not disclose that he had been decapitated. Berg's family was informed of his death on May 10. military patrol.

Berg's body was found decapitated on May 8, 2004 on a Baghdad overpass by a U.S. government, also hired a private investigator and contacted both their Congressional delegation and the Red Cross in search of information. Berg's family, frustrated with what they say was a lack of action by the U.S. State Department investigator looked into Berg's disappearance, official government inquiries produced no leads.

Although a U.S. Berg's family became concerned after not hearing from him for several days. officials on April 10 and did not return again to his hotel after that date. Berg had his last contact with U.S.

His family last heard from him on April 9. Berg is said to have refused this offer and traveled to Baghdad, where he stayed at the Al Fanar Hotel. officials to take a flight out of Iraq, with their assistance. military in Mosul.". [4] (http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=1865745) According to the Associated Press, Berg was released from custody on April 6 and advised by U.S.

consul stating "I have confirmed that your son, Nick, is being detained by the U.S. The Mosul police deny they ever arrested Berg, and Berg's family has turned over an email from the U.S. maintains that at no time was Berg in coalition custody, but rather that he was held by Iraqi forces. The U.S.

He said that he had not been mistreated during his confinement. After his parents filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia on April 5, claiming that he was being held illegally, he was released from custody. FBI agents visited his parents to confirm his identity on March 31, but he was not immediately released. officials and held for 13 days without access to legal counsel.

His family claims he was turned over to U.S. Berg had intended to return to the United States on March 30, 2004, but he was detained in Mosul on March 24 by Iraqi police at a checkpoint. Throughout his time in Iraq, he maintained frequent contact with his family in the United States by telephone and e-mail. Leaving on February 1, he returned to Iraq on March 14, 2004, only to find that the work he was promised was unavailable.

He also went to the northern city of Mosul, visiting an Iraqi man whose brother had been married to Berg's late aunt. He first arrived in Iraq on December 21, 2003, and made arrangements to secure contract work for his company. He traveled to Iraq in the hope of helping to repair its damaged infrastructure. Berg, unlike most of his family, was a supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and of Bush administration policy.

In addition, Berg set up a subsidiary of his company, Prometheus Tower Services, Inc., in Kenya [3] (http://www.macon.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/chester_county/8683572.htm). He once traveled to Kitende, Uganda to help a village, by among other things teaching villagers how to make Bovl Blocks, a modular concrete block Berg invented for use in tower construction where steel is not readily available or is cost-prohibitive. Berg received no degrees for any of his university studies. Also while at the University of Oklahoma, according to Nickberg.org, Berg developed a "paper brick" that was to be the precursor to his "Bovl Block" pressed construction blocks.

Berg attended four universities: Cornell, Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Oklahoma, where he was often homeless and was arrested for trespassing[2] (http://www.oudaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/05/19/40aaaeb82e3f9) in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Police handcuffed and detained Berg during his animated explanation of the device, which police suspected of being capable of illicitly opening remotely-controlled garage doors[1] (http://middleeastinfo.org/article4561.html). During his attendance at this school, according to James Dao of the New York Times, Berg was involved in a minor brush with the law concerning a device Berg identified as a "truth detector". Berg attended West Chester Henderson High School, where he received a diploma in 1996.

He inspected and rebuilt communication antennas, and had previously visited Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda on similar projects. Berg was a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, where he owned his own company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. Bush for his son's death. Berg's father has blamed George W.

The act was condemned by many Muslim leaders as contrary to Islamic law and harmful to their cause. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison. His killers claimed that his death was carried out to avenge abuses of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. The decapitation, the first of a series of such killings of foreign hostages in Iraq, received worldwide attention because it was filmed, and the footage was subsequently released on the Internet, reportedly from a Malaysian homepage by the Islamic organisation al-Ansars.

Islamic militants have been accused of killing Berg. He was captured and beheaded in May 2004. Nicholas Evan Berg (April 2, 1978 – May 2004) was an American businessman seeking telecommunications work in Iraq during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. http://tides.carebridge.org/Videos/Berg.wmv (8.2 MB WMV format, The Nick Berg execution is left out in this version).

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/decapitation_video.htm (5.4 MB WMV format). http://www.consumptionjunction.com/downloads/cj_34947.wmv (8.2 MB WMV format). The complete video, including the beheading of Nick Berg

. It is then laid on Berg's dead body.

At 00:05:20, the head is presented to the camera. At 00:04:30 in the video, one of the men attacks Berg with a knife; the men surround him; very quickly, screams can be heard as Berg is held by the men and beheaded. Then a pronouncement is read by a masked man standing between four other masked men. From 00:00:08 to 00:00:22, Berg introduces himself.