Iran's Rich Architecture And Rare Treasures Threatened By Possible US Strikes

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 3-5-2007 | Maev Kennedy

[blam]

Iran's rich architecture and rare treasures threatened by possible US strikes

· Many ancient remains are close to nuclear plants
· Archaeologists anxious to avoid repeat of Iraq chaos

Maev Kennedy
Monday March 5, 2007
The Guardian (UK)

Tourists visit Persepolis, which lies within 50 miles of the Ardakan and Fasa uranium processing plants. Photograph: Vahid Salemi/AP

In his quiet office at the British Museum, among the portraits of long-dead explorers and copies of 3,000-year-old inscriptions, one of the greatest experts on the archaeology of the Middle East has a series of maps of Iranian nuclear installations spread out across his desk.

John Curtis's maps fill him with foreboding: because they show how many of Iran's nuclear plants are perilously close to ancient cultural sites.

Natanz, home to a uranium enrichment plant, is renowned for its exquisite ceramics; Isfahan, home to a uranium conversion plant, is also a Unesco world heritage site and was regarded in the 16th century as the most beautiful city on earth.

Other nuclear installations lie close to Shiraz, dubbed "the city of roses and nightingales", famous for the tombs of medieval poets; Persepolis, the great palace of King Darius, whose ruins are still magnificent; and the 6th century BC tomb of Cyrus the Great, the Persian ruler who was said to have been buried in a coffin of gold. Four years ago Dr Curtis was warning that war in Iraq would be a disaster for some of the oldest and most important sites in the world. He has since seen his worst fears confirmed: the site of ancient Babylon became an American military base; thousands of objects are missing from the national museum at Baghdad; and looted artefacts have been illicitly excavated and smuggled out of the country.

[blam]

Ping.

[Michael.SF.]

Maybe 'Iran' should have thought of this before they decided to develop nukes with which to destroy Israel.

[cripplecreek]

· Many ancient remains are close to nuclear plants

Purely an accident I'm sure.

· Archaeologists anxious to avoid repeat of Iraq chaos

As I understand it, Iraqi archeologists and museum currators held an everything must go sale prior to the war.

[Bigh4u2]

I swear the Guardian is itching for a fight.

[PAMadMax]

Oh cry me a river............. / /

[ShawTaylor]

"Iran's Rich Architecture And Rare Treasures Threatened By Possible US Strikes"

Nonsense.
Isn't it the same Iran that backed the Taliban?
The same Taliban that destroyed ancient and even rarer and richer Afghan treasures, all in the name of Islam?
Where was the Guardian then? The Guardian doing their best to shill for their Iranian pals and stop America from taking out Iran's nuclear facilities?

[johnny7]

Hang the luck...

[EagleUSA]

Maybe 'Iran' should have thought of this before they decided to develop nukes with which to destroy Israel.
-----
Now, now, don't expect the liberal MSM to think like that...too logical, and it would actually shift blame on someone other than the Bush adminstration and America!!! We cannot have that...

[clintonh8r]

Well, boo-frikkin-hoo.....

[randog]

Tourists visit Persepolis, which lies within 50 miles of the Ardakan and Fasa uranium processing plants.

Yeah, the Guardian has a point--bomb technology hasn't improved much over the years to where +/- 50 miles of target accuracy error is not unrealistic. Don't let those smart bombs fool ya'.

</sarcasm>

[wafflehouse]

Iran's Rich Architecture And Rare Treasures Threatened By Possible US Strikes

well somebody better sneak in there with a camera PDQ

[ejonesie22]

Put up the good china and silverware, company is comming...

[Argus]

How did the Guardian feel about Monte Cassino, Dresden, Cologne, Tokyo, Nagasaki...?

[Comus]

No one in camel land was worried about the "rich architecture" and "rare treasures" in NYC. F'em.

[ozzymandus]

Oh, those barbaric Americans! Wouldn't it be cool if some Islamic terrorists blew up the Guardian's offices?

[EGPWS]

Iran's rich architecture and rare treasures threatened by possible US strikes

Perhaps the Persian Empire should reconsider their definition of Nuclear technology as being a "rich architecture and a rare treasure".

[GOP_1900AD]

Boo freakin' hoooo ... imagine if we thought this way 1943 - 45.

[Enchante]

"which lies within 50 miles of the Ardakan and Fasa uranium processing plants"

YAWN........ al-Guardian wants a free pass for the entire country...... "You can't bomb within 50 miles of any ancient and precious cultural treasures"...... leaving aside that it is in the hands of the Iranian despots to decide whether or not they want to have any bombing of their WMD facilities....

[MaxMax]

At least they didn't say anything about the Children.