How many of our troops are you willing to sacrifice for the Oil Ministry?
You seem to be missing the point that the artifacts belong to the past, which cannot be changed. Protecting the oil will change the future for the people of Iraq.
I don't understand people who would sacrifice another persons future for artifacts that are only important to people who live their lives looking to the past.
Our soliders lives are valuable....the artifacts are merely interesting.
Well, I think a case can be made that they have economic value. In tandem with the archaeological sites, they would draw tourists, same as in Egypt. Freeper Physicist did an economic analysis on one of these threads.