Nick Berg conspiracy?

This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on May 17, 2004). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

Those of you who’ve read this site for a while may know that I have something of a fascination for conspiracy theories. Sometimes they interest me because they’re so patently ludicrous, sometimes because they’re convincing enough to be nearly frightenting, and sometimes they end up somewhere in between.

I’m not really sure where to classify this one: Nick Berg’s Killing: 50 Fishy Circumstances, Contradictory Claims, and Videotape Anomalies.

Some of the points below are compelling. Some are weak or may turn out to be insignificant or coincidental. This is a work in progress, an early overview of discrepancies. There are too many discrepancies and contradictions to dismiss doubts about the video and the official U.S. stories about Berg. Additional inquiry and fact checking are needed as the Berg story unfolds or, rather, unravels.

Please keep in mind that I’m not posting this because I agree or disagree — rather, I’m posting it because I think it’s of interest. Many of the comments in the accompanying discussion thread are at least worth skimming, too. Some are far more vitriolic than strictly necessary (not really a surprise, of course, given the scope of the article), but a few do a good job of addressing some of the questions raised in the article itself.

The subject matter being what it is, of course, many of the points raised may not be for the squeamish.

(via Boing Boing)