UN 'Peacekeepers' Vandalizing Ancient Art -- Where is MSM Reporting?

January 31st, 2008 2:23 PM

We are told over and over again that the United Nations is the answer to all the world's ills. It is often claimed that without the UN things would be so much worse in troubled spots around the world. But, when we look at the pernicious effect the UN has where ever it goes, it's awfully hard to reconcile the claims with the hard truth. For one thing, we've seen the UN responsible for turning indigenous teens into prostitutes for UN workers in Cambodia, Africa, and Bosnia. Well, now we can add vandalism of sacred, ancient wall-art to the ever growing list of evils perpetrated by UN operatives.

But, where is the media to report this outrage against human history and sacred religious relics and sites? About the same place they were when underplaying the reports of UN peacekeepers and employees forcing young women into prostitution the world over... absent from the scene.

From raping poor women to raping art treasures, the UN is in the forefront of the efforts to demean and destroy all across the third world. Today the Times online give us the story of UN peacekeepers defacing 6,000 year-old art in the Western Saharan rocks of Africa.

UN vandals spray graffiti on Sahara’s prehistoric art

Archaeological sites boasting ancient paintings and engravings of giraffes, buffalo and elephants have been defaced within the past two years by personnel attached to the UN mission, known by its French acronym, Minurso.

Graffiti, some of it more than a metre high and sprayed with paint meant for use for marking routes, now blights the rock art at Lajuad, an isolated site known as Devil Mountain, which is regarded by the local Sahrawi population as a mystical place of great cultural significance.

Julian J. Harston, the UN’s representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara and head of Minurso, is reported to have been "appalled" by what he discovered when informed of the conduct of his fellow UN operatives. "You’d think some of them would know better," he claimed.

How he could be so "appalled" when it is sure he knows of the sexual slavery so many young girls are forced into by people he works with on a daily basis is anybody's guess.

The damage is extensive, though. Paintings and etchings made by ancient peoples over 6,000 years ago are now covered with the names and the messages placed there in spray paint used by peacekeepers to mark traffic routes, destroying these precious and irreplaceable ancient artworks.

The extent of the damage is revealed in a report by Nick Brooks, of the University of East Anglia, and Joaquim Soler, of the University of Gerona, Spain, which was passed to The Times yesterday. It outlines the "severe vandalism", saying that it "now appears to be an essentially universal practice when Minurso staff visit rock art sites . . . Minurso staff have felt entitled to destroy elements of Western Sahara’s and the Sahrawis' cultural heritage, despite being aware of UN ethics in peacekeeping, and in breach of legislation enshrined in the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict."

Now that was funny. "UN ethics in peacekeeping" doesn't seem too important to these so-called peacekeepers when sexually abusing the teen daughters -- and sons -- of the people they are there to "help," I hate to say.

So, add the destruction of ancient, sacred art to the UN's litany of crimes. Now, along these lines, you'll recall the worldwide outrage when the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas? It was right to be indignant at the Taliban for the destruction of these centuries old art treasures. These sacred wall artworks in Africa should be nearly as important to those who care about such cultural treasures. And where is the outraged coverage from the MSM over the destruction of these treasures?

No where to be seen.

Why is that? Perhaps because the UN is responsible for this cultural rape, not the evil Taliban?

Well, you can decide the motives for ignoring this story, but it is one that should be told nonetheless.