World

UN chief calls IS' destruction of Iraq's Nimrud a war crime

Ban urged political and religious leaders in the region to speak out in condemnation of "these unacceptable...

Afp March 06, 2015

PHOTO: UN

UNITED NATIONS/ UNITED STATES: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday strongly condemned the Islamic State group's bulldozing of the ancient Iraqi city of Nimrud, describing it as a war crime.

Ban urged political and religious leaders in the region to speak out in condemnation of "these unacceptable attacks."

"The deliberate destruction of our common cultural heritage constitutes a war crime and represents an attack on humanity as a whole," Ban said in a statement.

After rampaging through Mosul's museum with sledgehammers and torching its library last month, IS "bulldozed" the nearby ruins of Nimrud on Thursday, the Iraqi tourism and antiquities ministry said.

Ban was due to meet the director of the UN cultural agency UNESCO, Irina Bokova, later in the day to discuss the destruction of Nimrud.

COMMENTS (2)

Claudio Faria | 9 years ago | Reply This is what happens when religious zealots get a hold of guns with the belief that their God has granted them the duty of killing and destroying others. The problem does not lie with political interference (for or against), it lies with religion itself. It may be true that religion teaches moderation and respect but with the same breath their God also ordered stoning, be headings, genocide of other cultures, intolerance of any other belief, a backward view of woman, etc... These morally retarded people are where western civilization was 300 years ago a time when Catholics and Protestants were killing each other with similar religious piety. What they need is education, open internet, more passports and empowerment of woman. These zealots cannot rationalize a world without divine order more then my cat can understand algebra. So stop arguing and educate them; put all this money into schools, local jobs, etc... Sounds difficult? Yes it is but the benefits are worth it. Claudio Faria

john2397 | 9 years ago | Reply Who need to be blamed for this ruin of ancient civilization in Iraq-Syria and Libya??? None less than Bush-Cheney Rumsfeld who started this uncivilized War in the trouble area and Obama-Hillary who have continued this unwanted killings and destruction. Yes, ISIS and Islamic militants are carrying out this carnage, but by killings the powerful Saddam, Gaddhafi and weakening Assad, America and the West has provided them latest arms, ammunition, fertile ground for training, fighting and killings fields. At least, UNSC should inquire this dark period, how it started, who are the culprits and how to avoid similar events in future.

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