corrente

What happened to Mr. Johnson and to his family is surely the true meaning of terrorism. His executioners picked him at random, his presumed extra-legal guilt was contained in the fact of his being an American who was working on the Apache helicopter in Saudia Arabia. These self-made monsters, (whatever the root causes of terrorism, they each made the choice to be one), who claimed the blessing of God even while they appointed themselves the true aribters of life and death, acted, in the end, against the religious entreaties of leaders of their own faith. That they themselves have been executed, which deserves explanation, changes nothing about the deathly horror that surrounds their own actions.

Mr. Johnson's family has shamed these executioners by the profound humanity with which they have received the terrible news of his death and of the existence of a tape purporting to show him being beheaded.

After a day in seclusion, relatives of executed American hostage Paul Johnson Jr. released a statement. The statement was read by an FBI agent speaking on behalf of relatives.

Special Agent Joseph Billy said the family wanted everyone to know that they "understand the Saudi government and the U.S. government did every thing they could to rescue Paul under very difficult circumstances." The statement comes after Saudi officials did not bargain with the militants, who said they would spare Johnson's life in exchange for the release of imprisoned al-Qaida terrorists.

Speaking outside of a home in Galloway Township where the family was staying, Billy also said, "Paul considered Saudi Arabia his home. He loved the people and the country. They also know this act of terrorism was committed by extremists and does not represent the Saudi Arabia that Paul often spoke and wrote about to his family."

Nick Berg's father, Michael, has released a statement on behalf of the Berg family, that similarly refuses the invitation of these terrorists to nullify the essential humanity shared by all humankind everywhere. It's worthy of quoting in its entirety.

"We, the family of Nicholas Berg, extend our sympathies to the families of Paul M. Johnson, Robert Jacobs, Kenneth Scroggs, Bassam Salih Kubba and Kamal al-Jarah. We hope they will find the strength to endure the pain of their losses. We also extend our sympathies to all the families and friends of all the victims of this war, including United States military, other coalition military, contractors, and the 11,000-plus innocent Iraqi victims. We have been silent until now to avoid for the Johnson family any association our son's death may have had."

No doubt the NR Cornerites will be outraged at both families lack of outrage, and in particular, at the Berg family's inclusion of all victims of "this war," which will be decried as the usual exercise in moral equivalency.

Both of these families renew my pride in being an American.