Off the wire
• Urgent: UN chief slams acts of terror, violations of int'l humanitarian law in Iraq  • Urgent: U.S. dollar soars on upbeat nonfarm payrolls  • Roundup: U.S. job growth picks up in Feb, jobless rate at almost 7-year low  • Urgent: Gold down sharply on strong U.S. jobs report  • Roundup: Iraqi forces retake town near Tikrit, IS militants destroy ancient Assyrian site  • Urgent: Oil prices slip on ample supply  • UN preaches zero tolerance on discrimination against women  • (Sports) Pakistan's snooker players to get training in China  • 1st LD: UN Security Council OKs resolution condemning chlorine bombs use in Syria  • Egypt on high alert as global economic summit comes  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD Writethru: UN chief slams acts of terror, violations of int'l humanitarian law in Iraq

Xinhua, March 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Friday condemned "in the strongest terms the continuing acts of terror and violations of international humanitarian law by Daesh (also known as ISIL)," including the systematic campaign of destruction of cultural patrimony in Iraq as illustrated by the latest attack on the archaeological site of Nimrud.

"The secretary-general is deeply disturbed by these events and calls on political and religious leaders in the region to raise their voices in condemnation of these unacceptable attacks," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman, adding "the deliberate destruction of our common cultural heritage constitutes a war crime and represents an attack on humanity as a whole."

The city of Nimrud in northern Iraq 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 March 5.

Earlier Friday, Irina Bokova, director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), strongly condemned the destruction of the archaeological site of Nimrud in Iraq, deploring such "criminal chaos" as yet another attack against the Iraqi people.

The secretary-general will meet on Friday with Bokova, the statement said. "He reiterates her call on the entire international community to ensure that these attacks will not continue and that the illicit traffic of cultural artifacts, which also directly contributes to the financing of terrorism, will be prevented."

Just three weeks ago, the UN Security Council adopted a measure which urged global cooperation in targeting sources of funding for the Islamic State extremist group, now referred as Daesh, and Al- Nusrah Front (ANF), and condemned those buying oil from the groups, banned all trade in looted antiquities from Iraq and Syria, and called on States to end ransom payments.

The resolution, which called on UNESCO, Interpol, and other international organizations to assist in such efforts, was at the time welcomed by Bokova as a "milestone for enhanced protection of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria." Endite