Libyan Foreign Minister Ashour Ben Khayal on Monday said that Libya would repair and restore the World War II British military cemetery . . .[restrict]in Benghazi vandalized by Salafists.
Over a hundred gravestones as well as the central cross were destroyed in the attack which was said to have been a response to the burning of copies of the Holy Quran in Afghanistan last month.
Ben Kayal renewed Libya’s condemnation of the attack, saying that that those responsible were “subversive elements who do not respect religion nor our customs nor international laws”. He said that the authorities would hunt them down and bring them to justice, adding that their actions were “irresponsible and immoral, and against the traditions of the Libyan people”.
The owners of the cemetery, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, has already said that the graves and memorials would be restored.
A video of the attack has appeared on the internet in which one of the attackers says of the soldiers buried in the cemetery, “they are dogs”.
The attack had caused considerable anger and distress in the Benghazi where residents have spoken of it as an “insult” and a “humiliation”.
Some people have suggested that the attacks were deliberately done for political purposes — to damage relations with the UK and undermine the image of the new Libya. [/restrict]
