Commonwealth war graves desecrated in Lybia

[Keith Webb]

Don't know how you feel, but this sort of thing makes my blood boil.

ARMED Libyan rebels have kicked down the gravestones in a Commonwealth cemetery.
The Islamic militia men shot of a video of the heartless vandalism that shows them desecrating tomb stones and using a sledge hammer to smash the Cross of Remembrance, the Herald Sun reported.
More than 1000 soldiers and airmen who lost their lives in the Western Desert wars between 1942 to 1943, are buried at the site in Eastern Libya.
It is believed Australians are buried in the military cemetery.
The sickening attack was done over two days and the vandals can be heard saying, "They are dogs, they are dogs'', "Destroy that cross, they are dogs'' and "We begin with this one then we’ll take care of that other one. We won’t leave any left.''


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/hundred...#ixzz1o934i7GF

[hrpearce]

I agree it's a discrase, unfortunately respect is becoming a forgotten word.

[Private_collector]

Vile, lawless, philistines.

Perhaps they would prefer to be goose-stepping now?

The world is deteriorating, at an ever increasing pace. No doubt about it.

[easo]

How much grease is in one blokes hair!!!

These blokes clearly have no idea on how to use a sledge hammer!



Properly shoot at the sky too. Prays god now lets shoot at him!!!!

Regards Easo

[Little Jo]

Hi Guys

I could not watch the whole youtube video as I felt sick watching it. As an ex serviceman I am angry and wonder why we even help this idiots who cry for the western world to help them get rid of a tyrant then repay us with how they really feel about us. As far as I am concerned if that is their thanks then let them sort out their own problems. Bring our boys back home.

LEST WE FORGET

Tony

[Ed Storey]

Perhaps now is the time for the CCWGC to engage in a dialogue with the Islamic countries to see how many would prefer to have these cemetaries moved? Expensive as it would be, now may be the time to begin contemplating having these graves moved back to their home countries.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Over on HMVF a member remarked:

Do add the Libyian Goverment were very quick to apologise and condem the actions.

In Western countries there are a considerable amount of war memorials desecrated as well. Maybe it's not the entirely comparable, but don't be too quick to judge.

[Keith Webb]

Arrests made after graveyard containing digger graves attacked

At least that's something.

I'd be interested to hear the reaction to this story in other Commonwealth countries. According to the newspapers here there were not many Australians buried in that particular cemetery. But that's not the point of course, any desecration of the graves of men who gave their lives liberating a foreign country is abhorrent.

[jack neville]

My understanding is that these cemeteries are tended by locals in the various countries around the world where they are located. I know when in France and Belgium my tourist guide commented that there was competition amongst those paid to maintain the cemeteries to have the best looking plot.

My point is there is probably a lot of local Libyans who are also very upset at what has happened by those portrayed in the video.

And looking at them they mostly appear to be young people who obviously have something to prove. To that end maybe they should be given an opportunity to make their point.

... Perhaps if they would like to put their bloody AK47's down for a few minutes and sort out their hang ups by stepping into a ring with a couple of representatives of our diggers descendants. Maybe Ben Roberts-Smith and Mark Donaldson for example.

They can desecrate the graves but they can't change the history they represent. As suggested above, maybe they would prefer to be goose stepping.

[motto]

Typical mindless extremists that haven't got the brains they were born with.

Not people you can reason with just an empty receptacle that's been filled with blinding hatred by the truly blighted who use them for their own evil ends.

We will see much more of it unfortunately.

David

[Lang]

Just a bunch of mindless vandals. If they had cars they would be doing burnouts on public streets. Brisbane Cemetary was recently ransacked as are many others - and not by Moslems.

A few comments seem to suggest we fought for Libyan freedom when these soldiers were buried. Nothing could be further from the truth. We fought their colonial masters and replaced them with further colonial "administrations" and a puppet king. Despite what he became, once holding absolute power, Gaddafi was largely responsible for throwing off the colonial yoke.

There certainly are religious overtones, not directed at the graves themselves but the West/Christian world generally but basically they are just out of control young crims. I think we should not get too excited.