Iraqi beheading video was faked, admits US ’victim’

by NICHOLAS CHRISTIAN

AN AMERICAN has admitted staging a hoax video that appeared to show him being beheaded in Iraq.

Benjamin Vanderford, 22, from San Francisco, said he made the tape months ago as part of his campaign for local office as city supervisor.

The video, which was reported to have been made by militants linked to top al-Qaeda suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, immediately made headlines around the world.

Al-Zarqawi’s group has released videos of hostage beheadings, but doubts were quickly expressed about this footage.

Vanderford said: "It was part of a stunt, but no one noticed it up until now. I did this for a couple of reasons. One is to attract attention. But two is to just make a statement on these type of videos and how easily they can be faked."

On the tape, Vanderford sat on a chair in a dark room, his hands behind his back as he trembled and rocked back and forth. The tape showed a hand with a knife apparently cutting at the motionless man’s neck, but it did not show any militants.

The videotape was posted on a militant website and was shown on Arab television yesterday. Vanderford was dressed in a T-shirt, not an orange jumpsuit of the type other hostages have worn.

"We need to leave this country alone. We need to stop this occupation," he said on the video, adding that he had been offered for exchange with prisoners in Iraq. "Everyone’s going to be killed this way."

Vanderford said he understood that relatives of those killed in Iraq might think his stunt was misguided, but he offered no apologies for the hoax.

"I see how it could be considered disrespectful. But I think people, if they look at it, will understand two other big issues it brings up," Vanderford said. "A small group of disgruntled people in Iraq or Saudi Arabia could get more attention just by easily releasing something like I did on the internet."

Local police and FBI officials visited him yesterday, but did not comment as to whether he would face criminal charges.

A police official said it was a matter for the city’s special investigations unit.

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