Who Killed Nick Berg?

It's the question plaguing the world right now, despite the fact that the killers videotaped themselves committing the act and explained their affiliation with a known terrorist group.

The response of the man-on-the-street Iraqi appears to be a combination of the average American's response to the prison torture scandal and Senator Inhofe's response. They are outraged by the acts of their countrymen, but hint that the victim (or at least his country) was asking for it.

The family of Mr. Berg, who is most deserving of the sympathy of the world for their terrible loss, blames the United States.

Meanwhile, the wingnut right in America is certain that it was CBS who killed Mr. Berg.

Rabid conservative Americans aren't the only ones who like to find blame in the media rather than in despicable acts themselves. The state-conrolled media in Iran accuses the Western media of using the Berg slaying to distract attention from the abuse of prisoners in Iraq.

It seems that Iran and certain fringe right-wing elements in this country agree that the best approach to atrocious acts is the approach Syria took to the Berg beheading atrocity... don't report it at all.

All of this is absurd. All of it. The blame for this gruesome act lies squarely on the heads of those who committed it and those who ordered it. The same goes for the prisoner torture scandal. The world is entitled to know about both atrocities and the world is righfully enraged by both atrocities, but to blame anyone but those responsible is deeply shameful and simply begs for escalation.