Guest Pete Wood Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Sad news as reported by The Times, today: British graves desecrated In a sign of the growing anger at the publication of the pictures in the Arab world, Palestinian vandals with axes and shovels desecrated or destroyed 32 graves in a Commonwealth military cemetery in Gaza City. Photographs of US and British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners were stuck to some of the tombstones. "We will take revenge," was written on one tombstone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Yes it is sad but sure isn't surprising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Yes it is sad but sure isn't surprising. Not surprising, at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 I'm watching the news at the moment and am appalled at the desecration of CWGC graves in Gaza. This is being done in protest at the 'ill treatment' of Iraqi prisoners. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westkent78 Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 I'm surprised the cemeteries in Iraq haven't been similarly desecrated in reprisal. Sadly, I suppose they have different targets to take out their own anger on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 At least the cemetery caretaker and his son were not hurt as according to reports the men were armed with guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 Ladies and Gentlemen You are wandering off topic and any more abusive postings (no matter how mild) will be deleted - as will those off-topic. Just a gentle nudge back towards the Forum rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDick Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 (Sorry if you are referring to my posting, Terry, for that is the commonplace monica of the said Newspaper Editor in Private Eye. Just thought I'd advertise since - even though previous comments were off-topic - it might make interesting reading for those with an interest in the background of this contentious issue.) I think the vandalism also highlights the fact that for over eighty years such cemeteries have otherwise been maintained to a good if not excellent standard in Mid East countries by the CWGC with the co-operation of the various regional governments. In this region there has been: WW2, of course; often violent decolonialistion (esp. with regard to Palestine either side of WW2) and subsequent military, political or regal dictatorships pursuing often stridently nationalistic policies; sporadic regional conflict; and Gaza itself has been in both a literal and metaphorical warzone since WW2. It is shocking to see such things, if more as evidence of irredeemable anti-Western sentiment as a desecration of war dead, but hardly surprising given the rise in international tensions. (Similar things occurred in France; and as there, it is probably a fraction of a percent of the population that would condone or partake in such actions.) Cheers Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2lewis's Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 The current location of the CWGC Memorial in Basra is uncertain due to "relocation" Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 The damage to the graves is to be much regretted but, as I said in the other thread, entirely unsurprising. You have a situation where many local people consider the UK has occupied a neighbouring Arab country, is abusing the citizens of that country and, apparently, is giving support to the Israeli government's policy towards Palestinians, then it would be surprising if nothing happened. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 See the CWGC site under 'News' for latest info on Iraq cemeteries etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 Any future postings in this thread which deal solely with contemporary issues will be deleted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 I was able to see the cemetery last night as were many, this was on BBC World. Many of the headstones had pictures of atrocities committed against prisoners attached to them, so the reason could not be more clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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