We have yet another disgusting video of Islamic fighters systematically destroying their own history and culture in the name of Islam. The latest images are from Hatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is in an area controlled by the Islamic State. We have previously discussed videos of these fanatics destroying museums and ancient cities as offensive to their Islamic values.
The video shows a militant destroying priceless heads from a wall with a sledgehammer while another fires a Kalashnikov at another. A spokesman is heard celebrating the destruction because it is “worshipped instead of God.”
Hatra is located 110 kilometers (68 miles) southwest of the Islamic State-held city of Mosul and was a large fortified city during the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab kingdom. The site withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and A.D. 198, but has now fallen in the name of religion by these Islamic extremists.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/7/pakistan-judge-orders-charges-against-cia-lawyer-over-drone-deaths.html
But we wouldn’t do this, because we believe in the rule of law.
We need to catch up in many, many areas.
I think what’s interesting and ironic is what ISIS is actually destroying. For example, the artifacts in Nimrud are rife with alleged quotes from powerful kings that discuss in detail the death, whore and subjugation they committed against enemies to become powerful and maintain/grow said power.
I mean, come on. At least we in the West have developed propaganda to veil our own evil actions in awesome terms that sound great to the ear.
One more thing…although my career has been primarily military, I no longer would send American troops in to the mess that is the middle east. With the leadership we have today, both political and bureaucratic, they’d be more at risk from home than abroad. See…those fancy “rules of engagement” only apply to us…not the enemy, which tilts the field more than a little bit. And we still cling to the “enclave” mentality of Robert (Blowtorch Bob) Komer long ago, so we’ll not really influence anyone vis a vis democracy positively in villages and towns because we really aren’t there…and with today’s staffing levels, we cannot be. There will be no more anecdotes like mine involving some local kids, broom handles, tennis balls, playing baseball and how we joined them in their play. We made a difference…not sure we can do so today, even with our best Soldiers and Marines (far better than me, far better…) when manged by idiots in Washington DC. War is a very ugly place and if one has never been there, then they should not casually override those who have been there with their idiotic theories….who otherwise could help our politicians understand the battle field, both physical and that for the minds of those we seek to help.
So, yes, I’d agree that the middle easterners need to stop the desecration and destruction of their own heritages on their own, with no more than logistical help from the US and the West. We’ve managed a fairly long string of screws ups lately across the ME so I am not surprised many of them turn to others, not us. Our leadership earned it.
Slightly off topic…but I can no longer say relatively famous radical Islamists are not present and active in my town. They are now since Ahmad Jibril was freed to return here and preach his hatred. I want to thank all those folks that made us a magnet for loons like Ahmad Jibril …. the Terry Jones, the Evangelicals who showed up with pigs heads on poles at an Arab Festival (for both Muslim and Christian Arabs and anyone else who just wanted to have a good time) and have since managed to shut it down completely (ain’t “freedom” great?)….then the politicians and blog morons who persist in asserting we have Sharia law here (we do not).
Thanks to all of the above, you’ve made us a magnet for radicals when previously simply being fairly heavily Muslim populated did not. Good job.
My 30 years+ here has never seen the changes of today in my town, and this clown Ahmad Jibril is a classic example of malicious infection…where not so long ago he’d have been nobody.
Reblogged this on The World Around Us.
“With Israel and Saudi Arabia siding with the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda versus Iran and its allies, President Obama faces a critical decision – whether to repudiate those old allies and cooperate with Iran or watch as Sunni terrorist groups possibly take control of a major country in the Mideast, writes Robert Parry.”
Obama’s Fateful Indecision
April 6, 2015
By Robert Parry
https://consortiumnews.com/2015/04/06/obamas-fateful-indecision/
TheSaucyMugwump (@TheSaucyMugwump)
The damage to historical artifacts is highly regrettable, but we should not place our boots on the ground to prevent future occurrences. However, the genocide against Yazidi, Assyrian, and other non-Muslim minorities does deserve our boots, especially with respect to the hundreds, if not thousands of women forced into sexual slavery by Daesh savages.
Living in a State of Uncertainty – A Journey through Kurdistan
http://www.dw.de/close-up-the-current-affairs-documentary/av-18362768
I agree and concurr. If I was younger I would go so I will pray
I’m sure the usual players will call everyone who cringes at yet another historical site being destroyed as Islamophobes, and claim that Christians are just as bad because of the Crusades, and a few lunatics who play with rattlesnakes.
This hurts to see.
From my armchair perspective, we could easily take out ISIS by simply concealing some black ops at historical sites and letting them have at it.
Issac – because of Obama, we are enabling Iran to build nukes. One day, Israel might be reduced to a pile of radioactive rubble, while the world suffers from a nuclear WWIII. And we’ll all remember how Obama repeated our mistake with North Korea negotiations.
Eric and Nick
Compare and contrast the mess made by the last three clowns with what Obama has done. Obama may not be perfect but he is far closer to what most people on this blog seem to want:
-no US involvement in foreign wars,
-do something but no US boots on the ground,
– involve locals in cleaning up the messes in their own backyards regardless of whether or not it was the US that caused the chaos,
-involve the core nations in the region to thwart terrorist takeovers,
-involve other Western nations in dealing with rogue nations such as Iran,
-use negotiations as well as military force as the American presence,
-and so on.
There is a substantial degree of hypocrisy in some of the right wing and/or libertarian postings here, and here, and here, Just Sayin.
Well, that stuff sucks, but here in the Western World, we are busily destroying out own culture, too. And trying to knock stuff down, too. Sometimes successfully, and other times unsuccessfully, like here:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/wtccross.asp
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Eric, Isaac is dug in his bunker. And, if you’ve ever dealt w/ a person w/ a bunker mentality you would know to not waste your time. Just sayn’.
issac: “with the most recent chaos created by the US …Obama seems to be going about it in the most balanced manner. ”
Indeed.
In Foreign Policy magazine, Ali Khedery, perhaps the longest serving US official from Operation Iraqi Freedom, attributes (link) the regression of Iraq since Bush left office to decisions by Obama from the outset in 2009, including the pull-out in 2011.
In Foreign Affairs magazine, Rick Brennan, a senior advisor in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2006 to 2011, describes (link) “the bungling of the Iraq exit” by Obama.
Reblogged this on Oyia Brown.
The damage to historical artifacts is highly regrettable, but we should not place our boots on the ground to prevent future occurrences. However, the genocide against Yazidi, Assyrian, and other non-Muslim minorities does deserve our boots, especially with respect to the hundreds, if not thousands of women forced into sexual slavery by Daesh savages.
Living in a State of Uncertainty – A Journey through Kurdistan
http://www.dw.de/close-up-the-current-affairs-documentary/av-18362768
Anyone notice the huge stadium filled with Muslims in NYC to protest the ISIS damage in the world? Yeah, American Muslims are standing up! Well, laying down.
Something old, something new, I’m Islamic so let us do.
I agree with Justice Holmes. The most we should do is add air support. God knows we have ruined monuments in our time. 😉 For example, we bombed Monte Cassino into rubble during WWII with the result that it gave the Germans better places to hide.
Justice Holmes
I agree, for the most part. However since the West has been meddling in this area for almost a hundred years, with the most recent chaos created by the US & GB, they should provide aerial and logistical support along with material. The locals should be the ‘boots on the ground’. Walking away and wiping off the hands is outrageous. Obama seems to be going about it in the most balanced manner. As always, the cure for the present disease, ISIS, will have to be measured against the resulting after effects, perhaps a brand new disease.
A terrible tragedy for History but the West needs to stay out of it. If Muslims and Arabs want to save their history they will have to step up and put their money where their mouths are. They won’t even do that for human life so I am not optimistic.
I am waiting expectantly for the groundswell of voices from “peace-loving muslims” as they condemn these actions. I’m not holding my breath.