Dispute over damage to Afgan Buddha statue

[kiwifighter300]

From the tv3.co.nz website

NZ troops dispute damaging Afghan Buddha statue remains

Sun, 04 May 2008 02:36p.m.

The New Zealand Defence Force is disputing its troops damaged the remains of Afghanistan's famous Bamiyan Buddha statues while carrying out a controlled explosion of a live rocket.

A Bamiyan province official blamed the Kiwi troops, serving with the Nato-led force and a UN-led disarmament group, for causing further damage to the statues destroyed by Taliban seven years ago, while conducting the controlled explosion on Thursday.

Najibullah Harar, head of the information and culture department in Bamiyan province, told AFP, the blast damaged the smaller of the two historic structures, a 38-metre-tall statue.

"The explosion has caused damage to the remains of one of the Buddhas," Harrar said.

"It has also destroyed a historic wall around the smaller statue.

"The explosion was against the standard norms of protecting historic heritages."

Defence Force spokesman Captain Zac Prendergast confirmed today that the troops disposed of a rocket but said all care was used and there was no damage.

"They surrounded the area and covered the rocket with sandbags and when they had effected the detonation the crater was the size of a small puddle," he told Radio New Zealand.

"The sandbags on top have restricted the blast."

Capt Prendergast said the team assessed the site and found it was unlikely there was damage to the surrounding area.

The Taliban destroyed the nearly 2000-year-old Buddhas months before their regime was toppled in a US-led invasion in late 2001.

The Islamic militia, which ruled much of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, blew up the structures citing a strict Islamic law that bans statues.

NZPA

 

[windscorpion]

Afghanistan seems to have more pressing issues to be honest.

 

[ArmyAmy]

The destruction of history is rather pressing in the scope of the world, a people and a culture.

 

[ASFC]

Frankly, if I was those Kiwi's commander, i'd rather they blow the rocket up on the spot, rather than risk moving it. The statues can and i suspect will eventually be rebuilt-but you can't rebuild a dead soldier.

 

[RubiconNZ]

The destruction of history is rather pressing in the scope of the world, a people and a culture.

That people's culture destroyed their history, 7 years before a NZ PRT came along to help the people.

As if the Soldiers wouldn't of done their best to minimize damage.

 

[RubiconNZ]

Here is a NZDF release on the demolition.
04 May 2008

On the 1st of May bomb disposal experts within the New Zealand Defence Force Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) were tasked by Disarmament of Illegally Armed Groups (DIAG) to safely detonate an unexploded rocket in the vicinity of the Bamyan Buddha statues in Bamyan Township.

The 85mm high explosive anti-tank rocket was part of an unexploded ordnance cache found at the site reported to NZPRT members on 30 April.

Located approximately 50m to the right of the small Buddha, the rocket was buried at the foot of a bank which was a further 20m down the slope and was deemed too unsafe to transport away from the location or leave without attention.

Due to its vicinity to the historic site the detonation was delayed so key people could be informed of the need to dispose the rocket in situ.

The Governor of the Province Habiba Sorabi, UN organisations and agencies and local police authorities were advised of the task.

The next day (1 May), the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team following correct operating procedures detonated the rocket. A cordon was provided by local Afghani police whilst the disposal took place.

In conducting the demolition, fifteen full sandbags were placed onto the rocket to absorb blast and fragmentation. Post blast inspection revealed a crater approximately 400mm in diameter and 150mm deep. It was considered highly unlikely that the ordnance could have inflicted any damage to the surrounding area.

Further site inspections by Commander of the NZPRT Colonel Darryl Tracy and Head of the UN Mission in Bamyan concluded there had been no damage to the Buddha.

http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-releases/20080104-nzdfsduonbb.htm

 

[windscorpion]

The destruction of history is rather pressing in the scope of the world, a people and a culture.

Indeed, i am a History undergraduate (in my part time) so i understand that but Afghanistan has a lot more problems such as the return of the Taleban, human rights abuses, masses of mines and unexploded ordinance left all over the place et cetera.