Vandals desecrate WWII cemetery in Libya

Armed men vandalized two British military cemeteries in Benghazi, Libya, on Feb. 24 and 26, 2012, and then posted video online.

/ Youtube

(CBS News) Armed vandals attacked and smashed the headstones of Allied and Italian service members laid to rest in a World War II cemetery in Benghazi and then posted video of their desecration online.

The U.K. Foreign Office said that on February 24 and 26 hundreds of headstones in two British military cemeteries in Benghazi were vandalized. Markers identifying Christian or Jewish war dead were damaged or broken.

In video re-posted on YouTube the men (including the videographer) are seen kicking over or smashing headstones. One man takes a hammer to a ceremonial Cross of Remembrance.

Men are heard saying of the dead, "They are dogs."

The BBC reports that a group of older people intervened during the attack on the British Military Cemetery, preventing further desecration.

According to BBC News, the suspects in the attacks are militant Islamists known as Salafists, as they also targeted Muslim shrines.

Alistair Burt of the U.K. Foreign Office told BBC News, "It's horrific and wrong and we have expressed to the Libyan authorities our profound distress at what has happened on behalf of those who have loved ones there."

Libya's ruling National Transitional Council has apologized for the vandalism, calling the acts "unethical, irresponsible and criminal," and promised to find those involved.

The Australian reports today that arrests have been made of a group of young people believed responsible for the attack.

The U.K. Foreign Office said that more than 200 headstones were vandalized in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Benghazi, where more than 1,200 British Commonwealth servicemen killed in Western African Desert campaigns in World War II are buried or commemorated.

About a quarter of the headstones in the Benghazi British Military Cemetery - which contains more than 300 burials, most from non-World War service - was also vandalized.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission said both cemeteries will be restored "to a standard befitting the sacrifice of those commemorated at Benghazi," but that the replacement of stones would take some time; in the meantime temporary markers will be erected over the graves.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

To watch a YouTube video of the vandalism click on the player below.

[DivineNN]

Shows you how the Muslim mentality is... Respect us, show tolerance to us as we desecrate you, your family and burn down your churches... May God have mercy on these people.

[SHAWNP68]

And you wonder why soldiers are pissing on the dead bodies of these heathens? These people are living 3oo years behind the times! They are incompetent, uneducated, poor, dirt dwelling, cavemen!!!
Big bombs make pretty glass parking lots! Start dropping them, and watch these cowards scatter like roaches!!!

[TimB.MCSE]

Its only going to get worse. Demographics show, because of the "importation" of Muslims into Europe, Muslims will be the majority in the EU next 30 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU&feature=related

[erpicferl]

sad for the dead but remember the germans and english used north africa as a giant sandbox to blow each other up to get oil for the war. alot of destruction and death and blown up war toys left behind.

[Anglo-American91]

The British and Italians had no that Libya contained oil; in fact, they accused each other of trying to poison water supplies when the oil under the surface got into their water reservoirs! This aside, these desercrations are horrific acts, especially due to the efforts of Britain and Italy recently to protect Benghazi