Jihadists May Have Wrecked an Ancient Iraqi Site
By ANNE BARNARD
New York Times
MARCH 7, 2015 [15:03]
BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials said Saturday that they were investigating reports that Islamic State militants had destroyed Hatra, an archaeological site dating to the first century B.C., two days after officials confirmed that the group had bulldozed another nearby site, the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud.

Officials have been unable to review visual evidence, Qais Hussein Rashid, the deputy minister for tourism and antiquities, said in a telephone interview, because their local contacts have not had Internet access for several days. But, he said, “our local sources confirmed it to us.”

Iraqis living nearby and across the country lamented the wholesale destruction of their heritage, with Kurdish and Shiite militias and army troops on the ground, and an international coalition bombing from the air, apparently unable to stop it.

“We are in despair with the government,” Ali al-Nashmi, a professor of history at Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, said in a telephone interview. He was nearly in tears after hearing the reports about Hatra, which he said had been rare in Iraq for its classical ruins. “We are losing the country.”…

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UNESCO Director General condemns destruction of Nimrud in Iraq
06.03.2015 – UNESCOPRESS
“I condemn in the strongest possible manner the destruction of the archaeological site of Nimrud site in Iraq. This is yet another attack against the Iraqi people, reminding us that nothing is safe from the cultural cleansing underway in the country: it targets human lives, minorities, and is marked by the systematic destruction of humanity’s ancient heritage,” said UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova.

“We cannot remain silent. The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage constitutes a war crime. I call on all political and religious leaders in the region to stand up and remind everyone that there is absolutely no political or religious justification for the destruction of humanity’s cultural heritage.

“I call on all of those who can, especially youth, in Iraq and elsewhere, to do everything possible to protect this heritage, to claim it as their own, and as the heritage of the whole of humanity.

“I appeal also to all cultural institutions, museums, journalists, professors, and scientists to share and explain the importance of this heritage and the Mesopotamian civilization. We must respond to this criminal chaos that destroys culture with more culture.

“I have alerted the president of the Security Council as well as the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The entire international community must join its efforts, in solidarity with the government and people of Iraq, to put an end to this catastrophe.

Likewise, UNESCO is determined to do whatever is needed to document and protect the heritage of Iraq and lead the fight against the illicit traffic of cultural artefacts, which directly contributes to the financing of terrorism. At stake is the survival of the Iraqi culture and society.”

The city of Nimrud (Kahlka), was founded more than 3,300 years ago. It was one of the capitals of the Assyrian empire. Its frescos and works are celebrated around the world and revered in literature and sacred texts. The Iraqi government has confirmed that the site was attacked by armed extremists using bulldozers on the 5th of March.
[Google Maps GPS: 28.550158, 77.260616]

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UNWTO strongly condemns the destruction of cultural heritage
PR No.: 15019
Madrid
04 Mar 15
UNWTO is appalled by the systematic destruction of cultural and religious artefacts in Syria and Iraq, the last of which in the Mosul Museum in Iraq. On behalf of the international tourism community, UNWTO joins UNESCO in urging immediate action to safeguard the world’s cultural heritage.

“As stated by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, the recent systematic destruction of Iraq’s unique cultural heritage is intolerable and must come to an end immediately”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“The world´s diverse cultural heritage tells mankind’s story; it tells our story. It gives a sense of pride and self-esteem to local communities, and motivates millions of people to travel and discover the world each year. As such, cultural artefacts are a source of understanding, tolerance and respect between peoples and nations. These inexcusable acts of terrorism are attacks on these values and the international community must stand united in condemning them”, he added.