Nick Berg, a 26 year old American contractor whose decapitated body was found in Iraq Saturday, reportedly was killed in retaliation for American abuse of Iraqi prisoners. His execution was videotaped and shown on an Iraqi website associated with al-Qaida and Islamic extremist groups:

A video posted Tuesday on an al-Qaida-linked Web site showed the beheading an American civilian in Iraq in what was said to be revenge for abuse of Iraqi prisoners. The video showed five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks, standing over a bound man in an orange jumpsuit - similar to a prisoner's uniform. The man identified himself as Nick Berg, a U.S. civilian whose body was found Saturday near a highway overpass in Baghdad.

"My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Suzanne," the man said on the video. "I have a brother and sister, David and Sarah. I live in ... Philadelphia." After reading a statement, the men were seen pulling the man to his side and putting a large knife to his neck. A scream sounded as the men cut his head off, shouting "Allahu akbar!" - "God is great!" They then held the head up to the camera.

The killers read statements in the video, among them:

So 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. You will not receive anything from us but coffins after coffins ... slaughtered in this way."

Our heart-felt sympathies go out to Mr. Berg's family. We can't think of anything worse for any parent than watching your child tortured, brutalized or executed.