http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34036644
QuoteIslamic State militants have destroyed Palmyra's ancient temple of Baalshamin, Syrian officials and activists say.
Syria's head of antiquities was quoted as saying the temple was blown up on Sunday. The UK -based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that it happened a month ago.
IS took control of Palmyra in May, sparking fears for the site.
It is considered one of the ancient world's most important cultural centres.
The ancient city, which is a Unesco World Heritage site, is famed for its well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins, and the Baalshamin temple was built nearly 2,000 years ago.
The Islamic State group has destroyed several ancient sites in Iraq. The militants believe any shrines or statues implying the existence of another deity are sacrilege and idolatry, and should be destroyed.
The Baalshamin temple is dedicated to the Phoenician god of storms and fertilising rains, and was almost completely intact.
IS "placed a large quantity of explosives in the temple of Baalshamin today [Sunday] and then blew it up causing much damage to the temple," Syrian antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told AFP news agency.
"The cella (inner area of the temple) was destroyed and the columns around collapsed," he said.
Residents who had fled from Palmyra also said IS had planted explosives at the temple, although they had done it about one month ago, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Last month, IS published photos of militants destroying what it said were artefacts looted at Palmyra.
A week ago, it emerged that the archaeologist who had looked after Palmyra's ruins for four decades, Khaled al-Asaad, had been beheaded by the militant group.
Mr Abdulkarim said the 81-year-old had refused to tell IS where some treasures had been hidden to try and save them.
The group has also published photos of what they said was the destruction of two Islamic shrines near Palmyra, which they described as "manifestations of polytheism".
The modern city of Palmyra - known locally as Tadmur - is situated in a strategically important area on the road between the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.
Moment of silence for Abdulkarim Said.
Someone please stop ISIS.
But who is buying the stolen oil of Mosul? Stop them, you stop ISIS.
Quote from: Atheon on August 24, 2015, 05:49:28 AM
Someone please stop ISIS.
This. We can invade Iraq and Afghanistan for the most bullshit of reasons, can drop bombs from drones on people having weddings in Pakistan and Yemen, break international human right's laws by shipping Muslims to Ab Ghabi and Gitmo... but the moment there is a legitimate foe in the region who is murdering, torturing and destroying cultural artifacts and (basically) human history, all of the sudden the entire world is like, "Eh.... I guess we could maybe do like, a few airstrikes... or something...".
I partly understand, but I just don't understand how we basically sit around and do jack-shit about this, and cry about how terrible it is when we aren't willing to do a thing to protect these places or the people who live there.
Follow the money. Also remember that the US is connected metaphysically if not physically to ISIS ... since everything is connected to everything else. Once the balls are broken out of the triangle on the pool table, they can't be put back the same way again. The US has been messing with Muslims since Thomas Jefferson. The UN could help, but then we have to get the cooperation of Russia and China ... and they won't cooperate while we ... we are making war on them.
And you know that the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan had nothing to do with "Mission Accomplished" ... it had to do with money, and lots of it, including the mineral resources of those two countries ... it had to do with all that treasure, guarded by people without nukes. Much politics is stage magic ... the public is distracted by the right hand, while the left hand is doing something entirely different. We are like the scorpion ... whose nature is to sting the frog and then both drown.
The more powerful governments aren't doing anything, because there is no financial gain to be had from killing Isis. Of course if Isis were to attack things those governments count as their 'reserves', then they would go after them.
History and peoples lives matter less to such institutions next to oil and other highly prices resources
Well when you have governments that not only support "regime change" of other sovereign states but actually incite it, you are asking for this trouble. You wanted to arm the Syrian rebels against Assad just because he didn't like the Zionists colonialists or the Saudi Wahhabists, well guess who you are supporting? The Girl Scouts? I don't think so. It is like pitting and supporting Bin Laden and the Mujahideen against the Soviet Union didn't teach anyone anything. Want to end ISIS quit supplying them, quit buying their oil and quit the policy of regime change.
Quote from: Atheon on August 24, 2015, 05:49:28 AM
Someone please stop ISIS.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci8dhQ6Ga-M/UTbZpmx2hoI/AAAAAAAAA3U/8z0abIYIxrU/s1600/nukey_nuke_it_from_orbit_its_the_only_way_to_be_sure0.jpg)
Quote from: Shiranu on August 24, 2015, 06:41:09 AM
This. We can invade Iraq and Afghanistan for the most bullshit of reasons, can drop bombs from drones on people having weddings in Pakistan and Yemen, break international human right's laws by shipping Muslims to Ab Ghabi and Gitmo... but the moment there is a legitimate foe in the region who is murdering, torturing and destroying cultural artifacts and (basically) human history, all of the sudden the entire world is like, "Eh.... I guess we could maybe do like, a few airstrikes... or something...".
I partly understand, but I just don't understand how we basically sit around and do jack-shit about this, and cry about how terrible it is when we aren't willing to do a thing to protect these places or the people who live there.
I would love nothing more than to see every single ISIS piece of shit incineratied, but why should it be the US? What about the Saudis? Why shouldn't other Western countries stand up to the Jihad Jackoffs this time? I don't think we should be anybody's gopher - not for France, and certainly not for the richest country in the Muslim world. I believe most Americans have had enough of that game, and are sick of taking the blame for what can never be done right.
The only way to win at the nuke game, is to not play!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b3y_LUfnRA ... for our British friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEje927dygM ... for us Yanks
Castle Bravo was 3x bigger than intended, because of miscalculation! The Russians built even bigger ones ... Tsar Bomba. Since two years ago during the initial attempt of the US/Nato to intervene in Syria, we have been at high Defcon (but not reported to the public)
Hollywood version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB-Ghg8aRj8 ... klatu, barrada, nikto
Quote from: CrucifyCindy on August 24, 2015, 10:23:32 AM
Well when you have governments that not only support "regime change" of other sovereign states but actually incite it, you are asking for this trouble. You wanted to arm the Syrian rebels against Assad just because he didn't like the Zionists colonialists or the Saudi Wahhabists, well guess who you are supporting? The Girl Scouts? I don't think so. It is like pitting and supporting Bin Laden and the Mujahideen against the Soviet Union didn't teach anyone anything. Want to end ISIS quit supplying them, quit buying their oil and quit the policy of regime change.
Nicely put.