Hannity Defends Airing Berg Audio

Radio host Sean Hannity defended his decision on Saturday to air the audio of contractor Nick Berg being beheaded by al-Qaida terrorists, saying he hoped it would remind Americans of the true nature of the enemy they face.

"It is probably the most disturbing thing I've ever seen in my life," Hannity told NBC's "Today" show, adding that if every American saw it, "I think it would have the same impact on them as 9/11 did."

The top-rated talker, who was among several nationally syndicated radio hosts to air the audio version of the execution, called the decision "difficult" and one that walked "a very fine line."

After giving his audience two hours' worth of warnings on Thursday, Hannity played a 33-second clip featuring the terrorists praising Allah as they cut Berg's throat while he emits bloodcurdling screams.

Hannity told "Today" that he ultimately decided it was worth doing in a bid to remind Americans of "the absolute evil and hatred and vitriol and insanity and madness that we're dealing with."

Airing the Berg audio, he said, also helped put the Iraqi prison abuse scandal in context.

Broadcasting the Berg execution videotape, however, would be another matter, the leading talker said. He told "Today" that he won't do it on his Fox News Channel TV show, "Hannity & Colmes," and urged other broadcasters to follow suit.

"Even though I know this would have an impact on the minds of every American, I would not recommend you watch this video," he told "Today." "I would not want children [to see it]."

The decision of a San Francisco teacher to show the Berg video to his class without parental permission was "outrageous," Hannity said.

Despite incidents like that, Berg's execution had lessons for every American, he said. "There is an enemy, and there literally are millions of them, that believe that they're doing God's will - they were screaming and invoking God's name as they were killing this young innocent American. ... We've got to know the nature of this."

Phil Boyce, program director for Hannity's flagship, WABC Radio, told the New York Post's John Mainelli on Friday that he'd received few complaints about the Berg audio.

"Only a few left-wing wackos got through to me, and most of them had no problem displaying the Iraqi prisoners getting abused," he explained.

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