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| Down Under, Down Under |
| Australia to oppose wall at Gallipoli |
| 2005-04-18 |
| Australia will oppose Turkish plans to erect a stone wall as part of controversial roadworks at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Prime Minister John Howard announced the move as he flew out on an overseas trip that includes a visit to Turkey. Mr Howard says the Australian ambassador will ask Turkish authorities not to build the stone embankment, or at least put the wall on hold. "We are concerned that that construction would significantly alter the appearance of the landing area and that would in our view be very regrettable," he said. Labor's Anthony Albanese says the roadworks have uncovered bones, and the Government has not done enough to protect the site. "Unfortunately I think the damage is done," he said. Previously Mr Howard's said roadworks would stop if bones were found. Today he says it is inevitable they will turn up. "That is a completely different thing from allowing any work to be carried out which disturbed existing war cemeteries." But he says any bones found deserve "respectful" treatment. Prime Minister John Howard says the discovery of bones at the site of roadworks in Gallipoli is an unavoidable consequence of war. |
| Posted by:God Save The World |
| #6 In the Shinto religion, the return of dead soldiers to the homeland is considered a sacred duty. To this day, there are hundreds of Japanese who volunteer their vacation time to search and dig all over the Pacific and Asia in an effort to recover the remains of Japanese servicemen from World War 2. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2005-04-18 7:46:21 PM |
| #5 The civilized thing to do would be to dig up the whole area, one square meter at a time, remove all the bones, and return those that can be positively identified as allied servicemen to their countries of origin. Just a few years ago, Canadian acheologists uncovered the skeletons of 12 American soldiers who had died in the US invasion of Canada during the War of 1812. Associated artifacts (buttons etc.) provided the determination of date and origin. The remains were sorted by individuals, placed in a dozen rather expensive coffins, wrapped in the Stars and Stripes, and conveyed across the border by an honor guard. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2005-04-18 7:31:13 PM |
| #4 As much as I love the Australians, they should leave it be. If a memorial cannot be built on the ground where an event happened, especially if it's on foreign soil, then the next best thing is to build it at home where it won't ever be disturbed. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-04-18 10:19:38 AM |
| #3 The Ozzies should not be making an issue of it, especially when it's a no-win. It's the deeds done, not the deed held. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-04-18 8:15:31 AM |
| #2 same here, Ship, but the place does belong to the Turks. I understand the Aussies concern, though. It's kind of like the old song about Constantinople being changed to Istanbul, it's no boddy's business but the Turk's. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-04-18 7:42:48 AM |
| #1 I hate siding with the Turks. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-04-18 7:14:31 AM |