Slowly, Loot Is Being Returned to Museum

The Washington Post ^ | 4/24/2003 | Monte Reel

[Utah Girl]

The blue Kia minivan rolled through the guarded gates of the National Museum of Antiquities early this afternoon, loaded with a precious cargo of metals and minerals: a bronze relief from the 4th century B.C. swathed in yellow foam padding, antique farm implements, an elaborately engraved marble slab wrapped in plastic, a decapitated statue of an Assyrian king.

Also inside the van was Namir Ibrahim Jamil, a 33-year-old Iraqi pianist who said that 11 days ago he watched in horror as looters ransacked the museum, hauling away as much of Iraq's tangible legacy as they could carry. He said he decided to do the same -- not to seek a fortune on the black market, but to hide the antiquities in his house until it was safe to return them.

U.S. forces have drawn worldwide criticism for failing to quickly seal off the museum as they seized Baghdad, allowing the plunder of one of the world's greatest collections of artifacts from Mesopotamia and other ancient civilizations of the Tigris-Euphrates valley.

Now, as Iraqi and U.S. officials try to calculate the cultural casualties of the war's riotous close, they are discovering that not all was lost. At least a small portion of the thousands of objects that disappeared, it seems, were tucked away for safekeeping.

[Utah Girl]

The truth is slowly coming out...

[Captainpaintball]

I haven't been following much the past couple of days, so this may have ben brought up: is it safe to say that the shiites and the republican guard were the ones behind much of the looting--and therefore they get all the glory when they 'make' the 'citizens' return the goods and re-distribute them? Very clever.

[Torie]

Namir Ibrahim Jamil is one classy and public spirited guy. Kudos to him.

[Theresa]

It appears the US Marine Colonel/District Attorney working on this case is a professional with a respectful and appreciative attitude of the value of the looted items. I read in another article where he referred to the museum contents as the heritage of the Iraqi people and of all mankind. So I think the investigation is in competent hands. That musem has to be put back together again no matter what it takes. It's potential for bringing the nation of Iraq world prestige, cultural exchange programs and academic and university noteriety not to mention the millions and even billions to be made in tourism given all the other archeological points of interest cannot be underestimated.