E/CN.4/1993/62 page 57 has been visited by Arab, Iraqi and foreign journalists, who saw the reconstruction and repair work at the time. It is currently open to visits by the general public. 3. The allegation that 40 to 50 persons were burnt alive by napalm bombing is no more than an allegation. We should like to point out here that when insurgents were in control of the governorates of Karbala and Najaf, they killed a considerable number of citizens and looted their property, in addition to carrying out acts of mutilation and rape. 4. As for the allegation of damage to the shrines of Imam Zain al-Abideen and Safi Safia, we should like to reaffirm our previous statement that the shrines of holy imams and other religious sites were being used as bases by insurgents, which resulted in such shrines being damaged. 5. As for the destruction of a number of mosques and Husseiniyahs in the governorate of Najaf, we reaffirm that they were being used by insurgents as bases from which to carry out their acts of subversion. Some were damaged as a result of armed clashes between insurgents and the armed forces which were unavoidable if civilian lives were to be preserved and public order maintained. The religious sites, however, have been fully repaired. They are now open and frequented by worshippers at all times. 6. The cemeteries destroyed in the governorate of Najaf: The cemeteries referred to were not destroyed; on the contrary, they are open, with constant burials taking place. The Wadi al-Salam cemetery has merely been reorganized and a road and various pathways have been opened to make it easier for visiting citizens to move around the cemetery or bury their dead. It has been enclosed by fencing and its funeral offices are open on a regular basis. 7. Libraries: The damage to the libraries mentioned was the direct result of the disturbances and subversion. They were burnt and looted by certain elements due to the significance of the valuable books that they contain, which are an important part of our cultural and Islamic history. The Government of Iraq has no interest in destroying, burning and looting such libraries, which are still standing and are run by followers of the Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abul Qasim Al-Khoei. 8. The religious schools destroyed or burnt in Najaf: There is no truth to the reports and allegations which state that religious schools in the governorate of Najaf have been destroyed. They have sustained no damage apart from the Dar al-Hikma school, an old school belonging to Sayyid Al-Khoei, who taught mostly foreign pupils there. The school was a base for subversives, who used it as an arms dump and also executed a number of citizens there. The armed clash between subversives and army units resulted in the destruction of the school. As for the Qazwini school, it was an old school for Iranian pupils run by the Iman Ayatollah Al-Khoei. It was used as a base by subversives and was destroyed by the fires which occurred as a result of the clash between the armed forces and subversives.