British and Italian war graves desecrated in Libya

Libya's leadership has apologised after armed men smashed the graves of British and Italian soldiers killed during World War Two, in an act of vandalism that appeared to be directed against non-Muslims.

Amateur video footage of the attack, posted on social networking site Facebook, showed men casually kicking over headstones in a war cemetery and using sledge hammers to smash a metal and stone cross.

One man can be heard saying: "This is a grave of a Christian" as he uprooted a headstone from the ground.

Another voice in the footage says of the people buried in the cemetery: "These are dogs."

The attack happened in the eastern city of Benghazi, near where British and Commonwealth troops fought heavy battles against German and Italian forces during the 1939-45 war.

The National Transitional Council (NTC), Libya's interim leadership since last year's uprising forced out Muammar Gaddafi, said it would pursue those responsible.

"The NTC apologises for the incident with the foreign graves, especially the British and Italian graves," the council said in a statement.

"The NTC will confront this matter and, in line with Libyan law, will pursue those people who committed this act."

HARDLINE ISLAMISTS

The NTC has close ties with Western countries after a Nato bombing campaign helped it to oust Gaddafi, and most ordinary Libyans feel no animosity towards the West.

However, a minority of hardline Islamists, who are opposed to any non-Muslim presence and in some cases have formed into heavily-armed militias, have gained ground since Gaddafi's 42-year rule ended last August. The government in Tripoli has struggled to assert its authority over these groups.

Salafists, followers of an ultra-purist interpretation of Islam, have already destroyed several tombs to Muslim holy men in Libya, which they consider to be idolatrous.

British Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne said "it was an absolutely appalling story and people will be shocked by the photos".

But he told Sky News television: "I wouldn't want people to think that this is somehow a demonstration of ingratitude by the government of Libya, that is not the case."

More than 200 headstones in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Benghazi were damaged as was the Cross of Remembrance, the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.

About a quarter of the headstones in the Benghazi Military Cemetery were also attacked on February 24 and 26.

The popular British newspaper the Mail on Sunday said in an editorial: "All this would have been serious and sad enough if it had happened anywhere in the world.

"But it took place in Benghazi, headquarters of the Libyan revolution, which was helped to victory by British arms and British courage."

The footage posted on Facebook showed about two dozen men in a cemetery in daylight. Several carried Kalashnikov automatic rifles and were wearing the mismatched camouflage uniforms commonly seen on militia members.

In an unhurried and systematic way, they kicked over neatly-arranged rows of headstones. "We will start with this and then carry on," says one voice on the recording. At one point, the person filming the footage also took his boot to a headstone.

Another group had placed a ladder against the large stone and metal cross overlooking the cemetery, and was smashing it with hammers. Several onlookers milled around the cemetery but no one was seen on the footage trying to intervene.

At one point, a voice on the recording says: "Come and see the inscription on this ... There is Hebrew writing on it."

In a statement on its website, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission said both the Benghazi War Cemetery and the Benghazi British Military Cemetery were attacked over the weekend.
"We are awaiting a detailed report but in both cemeteries, headstones were broken and disfigured. Both cemeteries will be restored to a standard befitting the sacrifice of those commemorated at Benghazi, but this could take some time because we will need to source replacement stones."

"We will also need to be sure that it's safe for the detailed work to be carried out, but in the meantime we will ensure that temporary markers are erected over the graves," the statement said.
 

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