Got one of the beasties right here on Fifth Avenue, and he's become a New Yorker.
Posted on 04/12/2003 11:13:13 PM PDT by Servant of the Nine
At a U.S. Central Command briefing on March 26, 2003, it was stated that Iraqi forces have placed military and communications equipment near the 2,000-year-old Ctesiphon arch located on the banks of the Tigris. This situation, similar to Iraq's deliberate placement of fighter planes near the 4,000-year-old ziggurat at Ur during the 1991 Gulf War, illustrates the threat of destruction plaguing the cradle of civilization.
Iraqi officials reported in 1992 that 4,000 artifacts went missing during the Gulf War. Only 20 had been returned by 1998. Post-war sanctions on Iraq limited the government's financial ability to preserve antiquities, protect sites, and enforce cultural property laws. Conflict in Afghanistan has had similar consequences. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops and the fall of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in 1992, attacks to control Kabul resulted in the looting of seventy percent of its coin collection. More recently, the Taliban destroyed un-Islamic artifacts at the Kabul Museum, and an impoverished population continues to plunder its culturally rich sites.
Incited by a pattern of post-war archaeological disruption, there is currently an international effort among archaeologists and art dealers alike to mitigate cultural damage in Iraq. Officials at the Baghdad Museum have placed their stone sculptures in sandbags to protect them from 'ground-shaking' bombs. They have also painted "UNESCO" on the roof of their museum to mark its cultural significance and to avoid its being a target of an air strike. The staff is now living in the museum to prevent potential plundering and has been trained to transport artifacts filling thirty-two exhibition rooms to secret locations in just one day.
In the United States, art collectors and dealers including Ashton Hawkins, former counsel to New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, have formed the American Council for Cultural Policy to help defend and preserve Iraq's cultural sites and artifacts. They met with U.S. Defense and State officials in early January to inform them of the thousands of archaeological sites dotting the Iraqi landscape to protect against their unnecessary destruction. However, many have not regarded their efforts as solely philanthropic. Art lawyer and AIA member Patty Gerstenblith remarks that "one has the strong sense that this group is using this discussion as a pretext for their ultimate goal: to change Iraq's treatment of archaeological objects." Indeed, the Council seeks to revamp the Cultural Property Implementation Act so that the U.S. cannot be as easily blocked from importing foreign antiquities. Additionally, Hawkins has recommended that the Cairo Museum increase its budget by providing incentive to its financial donors, such as rewarding each of its patrons with 50 Egyptian artifacts. These suggestions have led archaeologists to view the Council's actions as an attempt to shake foreign nations' stringent regulations on ownership and export of artifacts. AIA president Jane C. Waldbaum has declared the Institute's position on the matter and rallies for nations to support Iraq's current laws.
In regard to the current situation in Iraq, government officials have mentioned their use of smart bombs and precision weapons to limit cultural damage. However, after only eight-days of fighting in Iraq, UNESCO commented today that historic sites have already been affected. A television broadcast showed live footage of Baghdad's Al-Zohour Palace--home to many works of art--being bombed. It has also been rumored that the National Museum of Baghdad was accidentally hit in an attack. UNESCO staunchly urges the U.S. to respect Iraq's heritage.
That was me. And I am telling you right this minute in front of God and everybody that there are material things in this world that people should risk thier lives for and that people risk thier lives to protect property every day. We call them firemen, and policemen and armed guards and soldiers. That's thier job and they are trained for it so they don't get killed. What's the use of being free without property and knowledge and wonders to marvel over... you pinhead. Our government should have protected that museum: we have the money, the skill, the manpower and the common sense to know that it would be a target of looters. And no soldier would have been in any more danger than on the battlefield, probably it would be less dangerous. This should not be brushed under the rug. We are not barbarians. If we could have protected this and we didn't then we need to do everything we can to get the stuff back including a literal Act of Congress consisting of a public pledge to go to extreme lengths to do everything in our power to restore this museum.
Alas, I fear that will be a daunting task. This is a far bigger loss/disaster than most people here even realize.
You sound similar to Nancy Pelosi who said, "We could have probably brought down that statue for a lot less." With every word you post you are proving more and more how little you know or appreciate about the soldiers who have fought and died in Iraq. Even on this wonderful day when the POWs have been found you are still fussing about the looting.
If you were on fire and the Mona Lisa was on fire and I had one bucket of water I would pour it on you. But if I knew ahead of time that you would both catch fire and I did not plan to bring enough water and man power to save you both it would be inexplicably stupid.
I find it inexplicably stupid that we did not even try to save the museum given that we managed to save the oil wells. We started this war and we should have done something or at least try to do something. I don't feel a bit guilty about pointing that out and pointing out that it has nothing to do with not appreciating the troops.
Actually, I was referring to the lapis & gold sheep from Ur and the HUGE winged, many creatures in one statues, that Saddam had recreated ( because the Brits had the originals ) with his face on the new ones .
If I were on fire I would drop and roll and not expect help from the likes of you. I see you are still quite hysterical today. As I write this there is still a firefight going on in Baghdad. That's keeping the troops pretty busy. I haven't noticed any compassion or care expressed by you for our troops. That tells me what I need to know about you.
Got one of the beasties right here on Fifth Avenue, and he's become a New Yorker.
The British Museum has several pair and they're HUGE !
As a born & bred Manhattanite, I prictically lived in the Met ; heck, I could tell where dust had fallen and not been cleaned off yet, between my visits. Even after moving to Chicago, I came back and took my kiddo there and relived my own childhood memories. :-)
Do you know when the Met acquired those things ? I don't remember reading about them before I stopped my N.Y. Times subscription and the N.Y. Post has NEVER run an article about the Met getting them. It must be rather recent ... right ?
The vast majority of the Cloisters' collection ( as well as the land ) is from the donations of the Rockefellers too. If it weren't for them, much of this unreplaceable art work, would NOT be in N.Y.C. !
Many thanks for posting all of this neat info. I guess that a trip to the Met, by me, is called for. :-)
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
If anything does go missing they might want to search the hotel room of these UNESCO people. After the oil-for-food thing I'm not sure I'd want to trust the UN to guard the artifacts.
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