The father of the beheaded American contractor has lashed out at the US military and Bush administration, saying his son might still be alive had he not been detained by US officials in Iraq.

Berg spoke to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30. But he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.

Berg was turned over to US officials and detained for 13 days. His father, Michael, said his son wasn't allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer.

FBI agents visited Berg's parents on March 31 and told the family they were trying to confirm their son's identity. On April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that their son was being held illegally by the US military. The next day Berg was released.

"I think a lot of people are fed up with the lack of civil rights this thing has caused," Berg's father said. "I don't think this administration is committed to democracy."

Suzanne Berg said that the family had been trying for weeks to learn where their son was, but that US federal officials had not been helpful.

"I went through this with them for weeks," she said. "I basically ended up doing most of the investigating myself."

(News 24)