Architectural plans for the Auschwitz death camp that were discovered in Berlin last year were given to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday for display at his country's official Holocaust memorial.
The 29 sketches of the death camp that was built in Nazi-occupied Poland date back as far as 1941, and include detailed blueprints for barracks, delousing facilities and crematoria, including gas chambers. The sketches are considered important to helping understand the genesis of the Nazi genocide.
They are initialed by the head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, and Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hoess.
They turned up in an apartment in Berlin in 2008; how they got there is not clear, but their authenticity has been verified by Germany's federal archive.
While they are not the only original Auschwitz blueprints that still exist -others were captured by the Soviet Red Army and brought back to Moscow they will be the first for Israel's Yad Vashem memorial, its chairman said.
"This set is a very early one, which was found here in Berlin, from the autumn of '41," Yad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev said.
"It brings a better understanding of the whole process, and the intention of the planners of the complex, and from this perspective it is important."
The blueprints were purchased from the unidentified finder by Germany's Axel Springer Verlag, the publisher of top-selling Bild newspaper, and put on display in the company's headquarters.
The publisher is now giving them to Yad Vashem for its permanent collection.
Mr Shalev said they will be put on display at Yad Vashem on January 27,2010, to mark the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Friday, August 28, 2009
US, Afghans attack clinic in Afghanistan
US and Afghan forces attacked a clinic in eastern Afghanistan after a wounded Taliban commander sought treatment, and a US helicopter gunship fired on the medical centre after militants put up resistance, officials said yesterday.
Reports of the militant death toll from Wednesday's firefight varied widely. The spokesman for the governor of Paktika province said 12 militants died, while police said two were killed. The US military did not report any deaths.
The fighting began after a wounded Taliban commander sought treatment at a clinic in the Sar Hawza district of Paktika. As US and Afghan forces moved towards the centre, militants began firing from inside.
Hamidullah Zhwak, the governor's spokesman, said the Taliban commander was wounded on Aug 20, the day of the country's presidential election.
Militants brought him and three other wounded Taliban to the clinic at noon on Wednesday. US and Afghan forces were tipped off to their presence and soon arrived at the scene, he said.
Insurgent snipers fired from a tower near the clinic, and troops called in an air strike, Mr Zhwak said. Fighting between some 20 militants and Afghan and US forces lasted about five hours,and 12 Taliban were killed in the clash,he said. Seven insurgents - including the wounded commander - had been detained.
Reports of the militant death toll from Wednesday's firefight varied widely. The spokesman for the governor of Paktika province said 12 militants died, while police said two were killed. The US military did not report any deaths.
The fighting began after a wounded Taliban commander sought treatment at a clinic in the Sar Hawza district of Paktika. As US and Afghan forces moved towards the centre, militants began firing from inside.
Hamidullah Zhwak, the governor's spokesman, said the Taliban commander was wounded on Aug 20, the day of the country's presidential election.
Militants brought him and three other wounded Taliban to the clinic at noon on Wednesday. US and Afghan forces were tipped off to their presence and soon arrived at the scene, he said.
Insurgent snipers fired from a tower near the clinic, and troops called in an air strike, Mr Zhwak said. Fighting between some 20 militants and Afghan and US forces lasted about five hours,and 12 Taliban were killed in the clash,he said. Seven insurgents - including the wounded commander - had been detained.
Govt warned to stop spread of firearms
The government needs to address the problem of arms proliferation in the deep South, especially among civilians,a seminar has been told.
Apisak Sukkasem, a researcher with the Peace Media to End Violence Project,said a clampdown was needed on civilian access to firearms.
Although there were no licensed gun shops in the 14 provinces making up the South, guns could be bought easily from shops selling firearm accessories and from those with connections to uniformed officers, he said.
Mr Apisak urged the government to review the Interior Ministry subsidy for civil servants such as teachers to buy guns. He also called on countries such as the US, Australia and Germany to control arms sales. He said the guns were often used to kill innocent people.
Chanin Chandrachoti, head of the Defence Ministry's Intelligence Directing and Coordinating Centre, agreed that civilians should have limited access to firearms.
Maj Gen Chanin said the heavy presence of 67,000 military and police personnel was still necessary to stabilise the security situation in the region.
The numbers would eventually be reduced but it was more important to eradicate the idea among civilians that weapons could solve their problems.
Yala deputy governor Krisda Boonrath opposed the call to disarm officials.
"If you talk about disarming authorities, who will dare to go out to work?"Mr Krisda asked.
"We are now a target [of insurgents]no matter if we are Muslims or Buddhists."
Although he conceded there might be misuse of weapons among security and armed civilian forces, he said in general they helped toprevent incidents.
"The establishment of village selfdefence volunteers helped to curb arson in schools and Yala town from 20 incidents in 2007 to one or two arson attacks last year," Mr Krisda said.
Apisak Sukkasem, a researcher with the Peace Media to End Violence Project,said a clampdown was needed on civilian access to firearms.
Although there were no licensed gun shops in the 14 provinces making up the South, guns could be bought easily from shops selling firearm accessories and from those with connections to uniformed officers, he said.
Mr Apisak urged the government to review the Interior Ministry subsidy for civil servants such as teachers to buy guns. He also called on countries such as the US, Australia and Germany to control arms sales. He said the guns were often used to kill innocent people.
Chanin Chandrachoti, head of the Defence Ministry's Intelligence Directing and Coordinating Centre, agreed that civilians should have limited access to firearms.
Maj Gen Chanin said the heavy presence of 67,000 military and police personnel was still necessary to stabilise the security situation in the region.
The numbers would eventually be reduced but it was more important to eradicate the idea among civilians that weapons could solve their problems.
Yala deputy governor Krisda Boonrath opposed the call to disarm officials.
"If you talk about disarming authorities, who will dare to go out to work?"Mr Krisda asked.
"We are now a target [of insurgents]no matter if we are Muslims or Buddhists."
Although he conceded there might be misuse of weapons among security and armed civilian forces, he said in general they helped toprevent incidents.
"The establishment of village selfdefence volunteers helped to curb arson in schools and Yala town from 20 incidents in 2007 to one or two arson attacks last year," Mr Krisda said.
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