Local Taleban in Bamiyan refused to destroy the statues, and al-Qaeda followers had to be called from further afield to carry out the destruction, under the direction of Chechen demolition experts.

BBC: Plans to rebuild Bamiyan Buddhas

Slightly farther afield, Sri Lanka's so-called "cultural triangle" - comprising the area bounded by Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa - hosts Sri Lanka's most celebrated archaeological and cultural sites, and four more of its Unesco World Heritage sites.

BBC: Sri Lanka��s architectural treasures

The questioning, he said, ran far afield even from the vaguely stated allegations contained in the so-called notice.

WSJ: Judith Grossman: A Mother, a Feminist, Aghast