IS Blows Up Ancient City As 'Propaganda Tool'

Written By Unknown on Senin, 13 April 2015 | 00.00

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Islamic State militants have continued their "cultural cleansing" of Iraq and Syria - this time blowing up the ancient city of Nimrud.

A video posted online appears to show the terror group's fighters smashing artefacts at the 3,000-year-old site near Mosul in northern Iraq.

Militants are seen with large barrels of powder in a room lined with gypsum slabs, beautifully carved with representations of Assyrian figures.

The explosion sends a huge mushroom cloud into the sky and turns yet another important part of history to dust and fragments.

Fighters hack away at statues with sledgehammers and carve them up with angle grinders, claiming God had "honoured" them by "removing and destroying everything that was held to be equal to him and worshipped without him".

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Gallery: Images Of The 3,000-Year-Old Assyrian Site

The 3,000-year-old site on the banks of the Tigris river was once the capital of the world's most powerful empire, the Assyrians. European archeologists first excavated the site in the 1840s

Statues, sections of palaces and gold items were unearthed at the site. Some of its best-known monuments include these winged bulls with human faces, known as lamassus

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Many of its artefacts were on display in the Baghdad Museum, but disappeared during the Gulf War in the 1990s. It was presumed they had been looted

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However, after the 2003 Iraq invasion by allied forces, the items were found safe. They had been locked away in a secret vault in the city, submerged in sewage water

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The collection includes hundreds of gold and gem-studded jewellery items

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A militant speaking at the end of the destruction says: "Whenever we are able in a piece of land to remove the signs of idolatry and spread monotheism, we will do it."

:: Islamic State's Trail Of Historical Oblivion

Nimrud was founded in the 13th century BC and contains one of the most famous archaeological sites in a country dubbed the cradle of civilisation.

It was such an important city that it was on UNESCO's tentative list of world heritage sites.

The attacks, which follow similar destruction of archaeological sites in Iraq and Syria earlier this year and in 2014, have been widely criticised.

Middle East expert Professor Fawaz Gerges, from the London School of Economics, described IS as a "social epidemic" that is "culturally cleansing" an area the size of the UK.

He told Sky News that militants had caused "catastrophic" damage to Iraq's - and the world's - cultural heritage.

"(They have) been systematically destroying ancient relics and cultural artefacts both in Iraq and Syria," he said. "The United Nations has called what IS are trying to do 'war crimes'.

"They have a puritanical sense of an ideology that believes in cultural cleansing - not just people, but even art and culture. They want to purify the land - to establish a totalitarian ideology."

He said the jihadists are using the video as a "powerful propaganda tool" to counter set-backs on the battlefield.

"They believe that ancient relics, museums, are basically idols. Idols that basically substitute idols for God," he said.

"These particular videos are designed for the hardcore, for the ... jihadists who believe in this particular ideology ... It's part of a propaganda, part of their ideological nightmare, it's part of a puritanical, severe interpretation of Islam."

Abdulamir Hamdani, an archaeologist from Stony Brook University in New York, said of Nimrud: "It's really a very important site in the history of Mesopotamia.

"Many of Assyria's greatest artistic treasures came from this site."

Nimrud is the later Arab name given to a settlement originally called Kalhu, and was plundered by Western explorers.

It was also looted and damaged during the 2003 US invasion.

Most of Nimrud's most valuable artefacts were moved long ago to museums in Mosul, Baghdad, Paris and London.

But giant "lamassu" statues - winged bulls with human heads - and sculptures were still on site.

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Turkey's Anger Over Pope's 'Genocide' Remarks

Turkey has criticised Pope Francis' use of the word "genocide" to describe the mass killings of Armenians during the First World War.

The foreign minister in Ankara, Mevlut Cavusoglu, called the Pontiff's allegations "baseless" and "far from the legal and historical reality".

He added that religious authorities were "not the places to incite resentment and hatred".

Turkey had earlier summoned the Vatican envoy to Ankara, Archbishop Antonino Lucibello, to request an explanation over the Pope's use of the word "genocide".

He made the comments during a mass in Saint Peter's Basilica to mark the centenary of the Ottoman Turk murders of Armenians.

He said: "In the past century our human family has lived through three massive and unprecedented tragedies.

"The first, which is widely considered 'the first genocide of the 20th century', struck your own Armenian people."

The 78-year old head of the Roman Catholic Church had been under pressure to use the word genocide to describe the bloodshed, despite the risk of alienating an important ally in the fight against Islamist militants.

According to a Turkish official speaking to the Reuters news agency, the Vatican's ambassador has been told that the remarks have caused a "problem of trust" - and that Ankara was "deeply sorry and disappointed" by the comments.

While many historians describe the events between 1915 and 1917 as the 20th century's first genocide, Turkey strongly denies the accusation.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people were slaughtered as the Ottoman Empire fell apart, and have long sought to win international recognition of the massacres as genocide.

Turkey argues that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and as many Turks died in the civil war when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.

The Pontiff said the other two genocides of the 20th century were "perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism".

He added: "And more recently there have been other mass killings, like those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia. It seems that humanity is incapable of putting a halt to the shedding of innocent blood."

Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan also celebrated the mass, which included elements of the Armenian Catholic rite.

Francis proclaimed a 10th-century Armenian monk a "Doctor of the Church" - making Saint Gregory just one of 36 saintly theologians whose writings are considered to hold key insights into the Catholic faith.

The Vatican has a long history of support for the Armenians, with John Paul II using the word genocide in a joint statement signed with the Armenian patriarch in 2000.

He said: "The Armenian genocide, which began the century, was a prologue to horrors that would follow."

But it provoked outrage in Turkey, and a year later during a trip to Armenia John Paul II avoided using the term, instead choosing the Armenian expression "Metz Yeghern" - meaning "Great Evil".

Last week, TV star Kim Kardashian, her husband Kanye West, daughter North and sister Khloe, visited Armenia to celebrate her family's roots and mark the centenary.

Kardashian, whose ancestors emigrated to the US from an area that now lies in Turkey, is reportedly making a documentary about the Armenian WW1 killings.

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Video Shows Family In Deadly Brawl With Police

Police have released video of a deadly brawl outside a Wal-Mart store in which they claim they were forced to use electronic stun guns to stop a family from attacking them.

The violent encounter happened after officers in Cottonwood, Arizona, were called to the store after a report that an employee was shoved by one of the family members.

A brawl broke out outside after police tried to separate family members for questioning while they investigated the incident.

Enoch Gaver, 21, was killed by an officer in the confrontation, while David Gaver, 28, was shot in the abdomen. He has since been released from hospital.

Police Sergeant Jeremy Daniels suffered a gunshot wound.

A Wal-Mart employee who tried to help suffered a broken arm in the incident on 21 March.

Four members of the family were arrested: 55-year-old Peter Gaver, 52-year-old Ruth Gaver, 27-year-old Nathan Gaver, and 29-year-old Jeremiah Gaver.

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Islamic State's Trail Of Historical Oblivion

The ancient city of Nimrud is just the latest piece of history to be wiped from the map as Islamic State fighters continue their trail of destruction through Syria and Iraq.

The Sunni extremist group has released a video appearing to show black-clad militants smashing up artefacts before razing the 3,000-year-old Assyrian site in a mushroom cloud of dust and destroyed treasures.

Their mission is made clear with one fighter saying: "God has honoured us to remove all of these idols and statues."

IS, which holds a third of Iraq and Syria, has been destroying Christian, Jewish and Islamic shrines in its self-declared caliphate because it says they promote idolatry and violate its interpretation of Islamic law.

But with these acts of cultural cleansing, apparently in the name of religion, IS is accused of hypocrisy with authorities claiming its fighters are looting archaeological sites to fund their atrocities.

:: Nimrud

Many relics from Nimrud, which was founded in the 13th century BC and was one of Iraq's most famous archaeological sites, are in foreign museums.

But a number of giant statues, depicting winged beasts with human heads, and stones friezes have now seemingly been turned into fragments by IS explosives.

The militants are believed to hold around 15% of the 12,000 registered archaeological sites in Iraq - a country dubbed the "cradle of civilisation" for its ancient historical importance.

And historians fear none of them are safe, and similar destruction may be taking place in IS-controlled areas of neighbouring Syria.

:: Hatra

A week ago, IS released another video apparently showing the bulldozing of 2,000-year old Hatra, some 70 miles southwest of Mosul, in northern Iraq.

Hatra like Nimrud, 20 miles away, is a UNESCO world heritage site, and their destruction was condemned as a "war crime" by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

The footage shows jihadists apparently destroying artefacts with sledgehammers and rifles at the fortress city, dating back to the Seleucid empire, which controlled a large part of the world conquered by Alexander the Great.

:: Khorsabad

Last month, IS reportedly pillaged the ancient archaeological site of Khorsabad, some 10 miles northeast of Mosul.

Khorsabad was built as a new capital of Assyria by King Sargon II shortly after he came to power in 721 BC and abandoned after his death in 705 BC.

With an 80ft-thick wall and seven gates, it was renowned for shedding light on Assyrian art and architecture.

:: Mosul

In February, IS released a video of fighters smashing statues in Mosul's city museum.

It also shows a man in black drilling through a winged bull, an Assyrian protective deity dating back to the 7th century BC, at a nearby archaeological site.

A caption says the artefacts did not exist in the time of the Prophet Mohammed, and were put on display by "devil worshippers" - a term used by IS to describe the Yazidi minority in Iraq.

The same month, IS reportedly destroyed more Iraqi history by torching thousands of books and rare manuscripts in the Mosul Library.

UNESCO said burning the tomes, which included 18th-century manuscripts and Ottoman-era books, could be "one of the most devastating acts of destruction of library collections in human history".

Officials fear more than 112,000 manuscripts and books, some of which were registered on a UNESCO rarities list, may have been lost.

In July last year, IS apparently razed a Muslim shrine in Mosul, said to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who in the Bible and Koran is swallowed by a whale.

Residents said militants ordered everyone out of the Mosque of the Prophet Younis, or Jonah, then blew it up.

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Obama And Castro In Historic Meeting

The leaders of the US and Cuba have held their first formal meeting in more than half a century - clearing the way for a thawing of relations that seemed unthinkable to citizens of both countries only a few years ago.

US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro met in a small conference room in Panama, where they sat side by side.

Mr Obama said the event was "obviously a historic meeting", adding that his country was ready to "turn the page" with Cuba on the past.

He said: "It was my belief it was time to try something new, that it was important for us to engage with Cuban government. And, more importantly, with Cuban people."

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Mr Castro said he was ready to discuss issues such as human rights and press freedom, saying: "Everything can be on the table."

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It is expected that the US will soon agree to remove Cuba's name from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, something that would also open the door to loans and aid for the South American nation after decades of suffering under the trade embargo.

Fidel Castro came to power in 1959 after overthrowing the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.

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The former Secretary of State and First Lady has long been the runaway favourite to be the party's candidate for the election next November.

It is expected she will make the announcement via a video message on Twitter before heading off to a first campaign event in Iowa.

The Midwest state was where her last campaign for president in 2008 began to unravel when she lost the caucuses to then senator Barack Obama.

Iowans are the first to vote for their candidates and Mrs Clinton is reported to be planning on a low key meeting a small group of voters. She is trying to counter the image that she is out of touch with real Americans.

The state, which has traditionally been evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, is currently hosting its annual horse fair and attendees gave Mrs Clinton's expected candidacy a mixed reception.

Katherine Resler said: "I won't vote for her. I don't think she is very trustworthy. I don't think she relates well to other people."

Hannah Hilsabeck said: "I definitely think we need to have a woman in office. I think that would be huge for all women everywhere and just show we can do just as good a job as a guy can."

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1960s: A sixties teenager

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Boy's Limbs Bitten Off In Deadly Shark Attack

A 13-year-old boy has been killed by a shark while he was surfing off the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

The child's arms and legs were bitten off as well as part of his stomach in the attack in an area which was off-limits.

Rescuers arrived quickly but could not save him, according to the officials.

The island has experienced a rise in shark activity in recent years.

It was the 16th such attack on the island since 2011, including seven which have been deadly.

After a non-fatal shark attack in February, authorities banned all water activities outside special areas watched by lifeguards.

This measure has resulted in a decline in tourism on the island lying to the east of Madagascar.

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Video: Policeman Dragged Along On Car Bonnet

A policeman was dragged along on a car bonnet for more than half a mile by a driver who was trying to flee.

The motorist had been asked to stop by traffic officer He Mingdao because the vehicle's number plate was covered.

But the driver, called Zhou, ignored demands for him to pull over in Fengyang County, in east China's Anhui Province.

He allegedly drove one of the front wheels against the officer's leg, forcing Mr He to cling on to the bonnet as the car sped off.

Another traffic policeman was chasing behind the car until it was stopped about a kilometre later by other policemen who came to help.

Officer He explained: "I asked him to pull over, but he screamed at me in the car, pointed at me and ignored me.

"The driver then jerked the steering wheel, so the car's off-front wheel ran against my leg, forcing me to clinch to the engine hood.

"He then sped up, so I had to firmly clutch to the hood and dared not move. So I was dragged on the hood for one kilometre."

Officer He was not seriously injured, while Zhou was detained on a charge of obstructing public business.

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Malta Votes To Keep Bird Shooting Tradition

Malta has voted to continue its controversial tradition of spring hunting in which birds migrating across the Mediterranean are killed before they can breed, according to the preliminary results of a referendum.

Supporters defend the practice as a long-standing custom, while opponents see it as a cruel tradition that often flouts the law.

Initial results suggested the pro-hunting camp had got 51% of the vote, a winning margin of around 5,000 votes.

An official declaration is expected later on Sunday.

Hunters' federation president Joe Percici Calascione said: "We did not win anything, we just did not lose."

However, raucous cheering from hunters at the polling station suggested many saw it as a victory.

Mr Calascione added: "We were fighting for our right to retain the possibility of hunting in spring and people have understood our campaign."

He appealed to hunters to remain calm, amid reports of celebratory gunfire in the countryside.

In 2009, Malta was found guilty by the European Court of Justice of permitting the hunting of birds during their return from Africa to breeding grounds in Europe, before they had a chance to reproduce.

While spring hunting is banned by the EU Birds Directive, Malta applies for a short period of exemption every year.

Shooters are currently legally permitted to kill 11,000 turtle doves and 5,000 quail.

Some hunters have been accused of exceeding the limit and illegally shooting other birds, including swifts, storks and yellow-legged gulls.

British naturalist and television presenter Chris Packham has in the past accused the authorities in Malta of failing to stop the large-scale hunting of migratory birds.

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Saviour Balzan, a spokesman for the anti-spring hunting campaign, said: "It seems that the majority has voted for spring hunting to stay.

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The country's prime minister, Joseph Muscat, voted in favour of keeping the spring hunt.

He said Malta's citizens had given the hunters a "last chance" and vowed that illegal hunting "will not be tolerated".

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'Syria-Bound' Briton On Way Home To UK

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 12 April 2015 | 23.59

One of nine Britons held in Turkey on suspicion of trying to illegally enter Syria is on his way home after being deported.

Waheed Ahmed - the son of Rochdale councillor Shakil Ahmed - will fly from Dalaman into Manchester on Sunday night, according to Sky sources.

The remaining eight will return on Tuesday, it is understood.

All of the group are from the same family.

Mr Ahmed, 21, was with his aunt, two cousins and one of their wives when they were stopped in Turkey, near the Syrian border. They had four children with them.

Most of the group flew from Manchester on 27 March but Mr Ahmed joined them three days later on a flight from Birmingham.

There were reportedly concerns about his behaviour in the months before he was arrested.

Mohammed Shafiq, who is a friend of Shakil Ahmed, said of Waheed: "There were concerns in the last six months to a year about a change in his behaviour.

"And a change in his attitude towards various different issues."

He also told Sky News: "That was causing concern for people in the community and his family."

Other family members detained include Zareeda Bi, 47, Maboob Yasin, 22, Habib Yasin, 24, Samia Bi, 22, and youngsters aged one, three, eight and 11.

Police are trying to establish their reason for travelling to the Syrian border.

Officers have searched at least five homes in the Manchester area, including that of the Labour councillor.

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