Comment: America will pay for lost treasures (barforama)

http://www.mysanantonio.com/ ^ | 04/20/2003 | Bryce Milligan

[chasio649]

There are some cultural crimes that transcend mere human concerns like life, liberty and the pursuit of oil. Today, we mourn a loss that beggars the imagination. A hundred generations from now, our heirs will curse us for what happened in Baghdad on April 11-12, 2003.

The origins of the war in Iraq may have really been the cruelty of the Saddam Hussein regime; they may have been simple revenge or pure capitalist greed. It doesn't matter. The fact is, Saddam did not start this war — we did, and that fact imposed certain responsibilities on us.

We took the most destructive force ever assembled and unleashed it on the Cradle of Civilization. And we did it so carefully. We only bombed the new palaces, we aimed our oh-so-brilliant bombs and missiles so as to avoid damaging any of the 10,000 known archaeological sites.

And then we stood by and watched as 7,000 years of artifacts were looted from the National Museum of Iraq. The treasures housed in this museum did not belong to Iraq alone; these were the oldest heirlooms of humanity. They belonged to every one of us.

According to the New York Times, American soldiers intervened at the museum only once, for half an hour, during a two-day binge of looting and bizarrely inexplicable destruction. Despite the desperate pleas of museum officials, soldiers refused to intervene further. Were they under orders to allow this madness? Who said it was permissible to kill thousands of innocent bystanders and not to stand our ground in front of a few looters?

The Geneva Convention is clear about the duties of an occupying force in regard to protecting cultural treasures. Is this why we continue to waffle on our official status? According to Gen. Vincent Brooks, American troops now consti-tute a "liberating force" — a term that has no legal definition and thus no responsibilities. It does not matter that it was Iraqis who did the looting. We created the situation that allowed it to happen, and then we did nothing to prevent it.

This loss is more significant than had the British Museum, the Louvre and the Smithsonian all burned to the ground at once. This loss is on a scale with the burning of the Library of Alexandria under the Romans; it outweighs the sacking of Rome. The destruction of the Anglo-Saxon monasteries under Henry VIII pales in comparison.

There is a special place in hell for those responsible for such crimes and for those in a position to prevent them before they occurred. President Bush had been advised by an international array of scholars months in advance of the consequences of not protecting this repository of the world's oldest artifacts relating to the development of writing and the first documented literary productions of the human mind. This is a war crime, because it is a crime against history itself.

Personally, I would gladly have laid down my life to ensure that future generations had access to these unique records of the beginnings of human culture. I probably would have violated all my own moral convictions about violence: I would have taken human life to protect these antiquities.

Every American officer who allowed this to happen should be held to account. This president should be held to account. But there will be no justice in this matter. No one will take responsibility. Bush will not even apologize. All our soldiers will come home as heroes.

This is hubris, the kind of pride that presages the fall of a civilization. We thought Sept. 11, 2001, was a tragedy; it was only the beginning. We so naively wondered why anyone could hate us enough to wreak such destruction on the innocent folk of New York.

By wantonly allowing the total destruction of the National Museum of Iraq we have given more than ample reason to untold generations of terrorists to spend their lives taking revenge on America. And this will not be limited to a Muslim jihad. This will be an international expression of disgust.

Way to go, Mr. Bush. Now the whole world has reason to despise us.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bryce Milligan is a writer in San Antonio.

[FreedomCalls]

The Geneva Convention is clear about the duties of an occupying force in regard to protecting cultural treasures.

Is it? Here is what it says:

Any High Contracting Party in occupation of the whole or part of the territory of another High Contracting Party shall as far as possible support the competent national authorities of the occupied country in safeguarding and preserving its cultural property.

It only says we shall assist the competent national authorities in safeguarding and preserving its cultural property. It says nothing about stopping the competent national authorities from looting their own cultural property.

Personally, I would gladly have laid down my life to ensure that future generations had access to these unique records of the beginnings of human culture.

Well, Mr. Miligan, why did you not assist the Marines in Baghdad then? Their recruiting office is open Monday through Saturday at 3837 Binz-Engleman Road in San Antonio. Their telephone number is (210) 225-2997. You'll be there first thing Monday morning right? Or will I find you on your fat butt eating doughnuts like usual?

//crickets chirping//

I thought so.

[sauropod]

Hey, I'm lookin' for my cut!

Where are my 72 virgins? The master's awating...

Ps. Are you really a blonde? OR: Does the carpet match the curtains?"

... ducking...

[dighton]

Personally, I would gladly have laid down my life to ensure that future generations had access to these unique records of the beginnings of human culture. (You're a noisy liar.) I probably would have violated all my own moral convictions about violence: I would have taken human life to protect these antiquities.

Every American officer who allowed this to happen should be held to account. This president should be held to account. But there will be no justice in this matter. No one will take responsibility. Bush will not even apologize. All our soldiers will come home as heroes.(Unlike you, ****-for-brains, they DID put their lives on the line).

[albee]

Hey Bryce Baby, in case you didn't know it, WAR IS HELL!

People actually get killed, maimed and wounded and things (like palaces, government buildings and, yes, even museums), get all broken up.

It is unfortunate, but $hit happens.

Quite frankly, as far as I am concerned, the life of one of our brave soldiers is worth more than all of Baghdad's Museums. Also, Iraqis dressed as civilians were firing on our people! Why the hell should our GIs risk walking into a looting mob of IRAQIs, not U.S.Soldiers, to save a piece of pottery or shard of papyrus?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[L.N. Smithee]

The origins of the war in Iraq may have really been the cruelty of the Saddam Hussein regime; they may have been simple revenge or pure capitalist greed. It doesn't matter. The fact is, Saddam did not start this war — we did, and that fact imposed certain responsibilities on us.

(Sigh) It never ceases to amaze me.

This guy is whining on like he is some history buff, and he doesn't even know jack squat about Saddam's past dozen years of post-Gulf War defiance of the treaty he signed to end it? Does he join the French and the Germans in not having a grade-school level understanding of the word "serious" when it comes to the consequences of not heeding the demand to be forthcoming about weapons of mass destruction?

It says a lot to me that he acknowledges the "cruelty of the Hussein regime" only long enough to add, "It doesn't matter" if it was the impetus for the results.

We only bombed the new palaces, we aimed our oh-so-brilliant bombs and missiles so as to avoid damaging any of the 10,000 known archaeological sites. And then we stood by and watched as 7,000 years of artifacts were looted from the National Museum of Iraq. The treasures housed in this museum did not belong to Iraq alone; these were the oldest heirlooms of humanity. They belonged to every one of us...It does not matter that it was Iraqis who did the looting. We created the situation that allowed it to happen, and then we did nothing to prevent it.

Hey, genius: Why didn't Iraqis see these artifacts with the same reverence you and other eggheads do? Care to address that?

Personally, I would gladly have laid down my life to ensure that future generations had access to these unique records of the beginnings of human culture. I probably would have violated all my own moral convictions about violence: I would have taken human life to protect these antiquities.

This quote says loads more about you, buddy, than it says about Bush or anyone you hold responsible for this supposedly tragic loss. Saddam's gassing of ethnic minorities, his wanton murder of political opponents, the instruction of his progeny in the his Caligulaic appetites, his approval of conscription by means of threatening women and children, and his imprisoning children for not agreeing to the Ba'ath philosophy wouldn't have been enough to get you to pick up a weapon and pull the trigger -- but for your love of some centuries old stuff left behind by people who lived less oppressive lives, yes, you would kill.

It is probably a good thing for us both that you and I will never come within spitting distance of one another.

[weegee]

A hundred generations from now, our heirs will curse us for what happened in Baghdad on April 11-12, 2003.

Unlike any libs cursing anyone today for what happened September 11th, 2001. The best they could muster then (and now) is "Bush knew".

[Billthedrill]

There are some cultural crimes that transcend mere human concerns like life, liberty and the pursuit of oil.

Over the top in the first sentence. In the absence of life and liberty, what use is culture? It is nearly certain that this particular author hasn't the slightest knowledge of Mesopotamian history and probably couldn't spell Assyria before it became politically advantageous to flog Bush with this issue. Why? Because not a very great deal was actually lost.

The cuneiform tablets, for example. The ones destroyed were on display - these are never displayed before they are copied and cataloged. Yes, it's a shame the originals were broken. No, it's not an irreplaceable cultural loss. Pots? Please. Gold trinkets? Archaeologists hate them - their pursuit has ruined more than it has saved.

The truth is that all of Mesopotamian archaeology has taken a major hit at the hands of Saddam Hussein, who clamped down on foreign digs even before the war - they were "looting" his people went the story - and practically halted them altogether after 1991 due to fears of spying and cultural contamination. These will now begin anew, and what is still in the ground dwarfs what little has been dug up to this point by many orders of magnitude.

And we do not have infinite time. Unlike Egypt, where except for the inundations caused by the Aswan dam, relics are in dry, safe locations and may wait indefinitely to be found, in the lands of Mesopotamia the water table is rising and the lowest, most ancient levels are the first ones in peril. We have lost a decade and more due to politics. That is an immensely greater loss than anything that could have been taken from a museum over the space of a few hours. But we have a chance to save far more now than we would have if it were all controlled by Saddam Hussein, to be exploited where it enhanced his personal glory and ignored where it did not. The potential gain dwarfs the putative loss.

[happydogdesign]

It's odd that this bleating spawn of first cousin animal husbandry
would get so upset about some old crockery and other assorted
objects when untold thousands of real treasures like
these pictured with a US Marine
were hung from hooks, beaten, raped, mutilated, burned,
electrocuted, and carved up like carcasses in a slaughterhouse.

However, if this jabbering, lunatic diatribe is an example of
his standard output, I would say that this ridiculous, addled-brained magpie would know comething about crocks

[knuthom]

Keys were used to open cabinets and locked vaults, reproductions and "fakes" were left behind; all indications of an "inside job".

There have been numerous articles reporting this. Where has Bryce been?

[weegee]

Those who stole the treasure are criminals.

And those nations and rich people who buy these stolen goods (and give them black market value) are also criminals.

And yet America again gets the blame.

Can we unload on the liberal mayor of LA, Chicago, or some other dense populated example of "Gore Country" the next time there is a riot after a sports championship? "You knew that this would happen...". Maybe we can even extend that blame to the team and team owner, his guys should've thrown the game to avoid the economic hardships it would bring their city.

[pfflier]

Bryce Milligan He is the real reason the world despises us. he values materialism over human life.

[JZoback]

According to the New York Times,

That was your first mistake.

[weegee]

Yes, good point. None of the Saddamite "military shields" (aka Useful Idiots or pawns) voluntered as "cultural shields".

[MEG33]

That made me cry..as it should the moron that wrote the article.Well said!

[Happygal]

Ps. Are you really a blonde? OR: Does the carpet match the curtains?"

*LOL* Blonde...umm...well, er, yes and no. I was blonde, but had an *experiment* with red a while back that didn't *quite* go according to plan. Am contemplating reverting back to dizzy-have-more-funness shortly. When the collars will match the cuffs again! *LOL*

Good job, I'm Irish! Otherwise you'd have yer butt whipped for that comment! *LOL*

[300winmag]

Personally, I would gladly have laid down my life to ensure that future generations had access to these unique records of the beginnings of human culture. I probably would have violated all my own moral convictions about violence: I would have taken human life to protect these antiquities.

He still has a chance to put his money where his big mouth is. Let him buy a plane ticket to Kuwait and hitch a ride into Baghdad. Then he can play art detective and track down what was probably some fake art, in a country where everybody has AK47s and RPGs. Then he can die for his art, if not his country. I'll spring for a UN flag for his coffin.

[sauropod]

Dinosaurs never divulge confidences...

{{{happygal}}}

[sauropod]

Re: your tagline. YOU big TEASE!!! < /evil grin>

[weegee]

Did he whine like this about the desecration of Joseph's Tomb or the Church of the Nativity or even the Taliban's destruction (in early 2001) of the giant Buddist statues?

Thought so. Another Blame America Firster.

[FreedomCalls]

Let him buy a plane ticket to Kuwait and hitch a ride into Baghdad.

Here's an even better idea:

Let him enlist in the United States Marine Corps.