Dirty Scum Bastards

The video is believed to show graves being attacked by armed men in Benghazi


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17244211

Libyan authorities have apologised after video footage emerged showing graves of British servicemen being attacked by armed men in Benghazi.

Headstones were broken at the Benghazi War Cemetery and the Benghazi British Military Cemetery, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) said.

Among the graves targeted were those of British and Commonwealth servicemen killed during the Second World War.

The National Transitional Council (NTC) has pledged to catch those responsible.

The video footage, filmed by the attackers, appears to show about a dozen armed men kicking down headstones and trying to damage a cross.

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in Tripoli, says the attackers referred to "Christian dogs" and a Jewish memorial was also targeted.

Our correspondent says the attack was "calm, almost casual".

It is believed the attack could have been carried out in retaliation for the burning of the Koran by US soldiers at a military base in Afghanistan last month.

'Broken and disfigured'
The CWCG said on its website that headstones were "broken and disfigured" at both cemeteries last weekend. About 109 headstones are understood to have been attacked at the Benghazi War Cemetery.


The National Transitional Council strongly condemned the attacks
The organisation said it would conduct a full survey of the damage once it was safe to do so.

"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," the CWCG said.

"In the meantime we will ensure that temporary markers are erected over the graves."

No-one was injured in the attack, it said.

The NTC said in a statement on its website: "Some people attacked the graves of non-Muslims in Benghazi, including the graves of some of the nationals of friendly countries, including the states of Britain and Italy."

It says it "deeply regrets" and "strongly condemns" the attacks, and pledged to prosecute those involved.

The BBC understands that at some point during the attack on the British Military Cemetery a group of older people intervened to stop it.

It is understood a separate attack was carried out on the Italian War Graves Cemetery, also in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Graves 'respected'
In June last year Foreign Secretary William Hague laid a wreath at Commonwealth war graves on a trip to Benghazi.

BBC Southern Africa correspondent Karen Allen said that up until now Commonwealth war graves had been respected in Libya, and it was sad to see attacks in Benghazi.

In November last year our correspondent reported that Tripoli War Cemetery, one of five Commonwealth war cemeteries dotted across Libya, were left untouched during the uprising.

The CWGC held services at its cemeteries in Tripoli, Benghazi and Tobruk to mark the 93rd Armistice Day last year.

There are 1,214 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated at the Benghazi War Cemetery, according to the CWGC, 163 of the burials are unidentified.

The Benghazi British Military Cemetery has 284 burials, 11 of them unidentified.

The graves are of servicemen and women who died in the region in the years following the Second War.