Beheading victim 'was not under US custody'

The young American who was decapitated on a videotape posted by an al-Qaida-linked web site was never under US custody despite claims from his family, coalition spokesman Dan Senor said in Baghdad.

Senor said that Berg, aged 26, from West Chester, Pennsylvania, was detained by Iraqi police in Mosul.

The Iraqis informed the Americans and the FBI met with Berg three times to determine what he was doing in Iraq.

Senor said that to his knowledge, “he (Berg) was at no time under the jurisdiction or detention of coalition forces”.

Asked for details about Berg’s last weeks in Iraq, Senor replied: “We are obviously trying to piece all this together, and there’s a thorough investigation.” He said he was unable to release further details.

“The US government is committed to a very thorough and robust investigation to get to the bottom of this,” Senor said.

“As I said, everybody is shocked by the horrific images of this terrorist act.”

He said “multiple” US agencies would be involved in the Berg case and that the FBI would probably have overall direction.