[calico joe]

So, as with the National Antiquities Museum, why were the artifacts and documents left in their normal place and not moved to a protected spot? We're told all the time that Baghdad is honeycombed with tunnels. Surely there was room down there. Why didn't the archivists and curators take action? Looks like the entire Iraqi government military and civilian was decapitated.

Instead of blaaming the Americans maybe Fisk should blame Iraqi officials who failed to act even though they knew a war was coming.

[aristeides]

Most German art was preserved in WW II because it was kept in vaults in mountain caves.

[thatcher]

As with the National Antiquities Museum, this library looting and burning, may also be the work of old regime Iraqi officials. No one saw anybody ‘looting’ the museum, as they did with everyother place that was looted, it was found looted. I doubt that any of the average Iraqi people did it, but rather those who were aware of the value contained there in, and wanted to make it look like common looting.