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On the Trail ~ A firsthand account of the effort to recover Iraq's museum treasures.
Opinion Journal ^ | Sept. 18, 2003 | MATTHEW BOGDANOS

Posted on 09/18/2003 8:06:29 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl

Edited on 04/23/2004 12:05:55 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

In mid-April it was widely reported that over 170,000 artifacts had been stolen or looted from the museum in Baghdad. From the outset, the primary goal of this investigation has been the return of these antiquities to the Iraqi people, not criminal prosecution.


(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: artifacts; iraq; looting; museum; rebuildingiraq; recovered
 
 Thanks, Tonkin!


1 posted on 09/18/2003 8:06:30 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: MJY1288; Calpernia; Grampa Dave; anniegetyourgun; Coop; Ernest_at_the_Beach; BOBTHENAILER; ...
There are far more artifacts missing than 33, more like 10,000, but certainly not over 100,000. This story of the hunt and recovery is fascinating.

Weeks before the war, the staff moved 179 boxes containing 8,366 of the more priceless artifacts from the display cases in the museum itself. They moved those items to a secret place, and you will recall that on May 16, when I last spoke to you [the Pentagon press corps via video from Baghdad], we had not learned the location of this secret place, because the five senior museum staff members had sworn on the Koran not to reveal its location.

After weeks and months of developing and building a trust with the museum staff, we were able to gain access to the secret place on June 4. And when we did, we found that all 179 boxes were present and all of their contents accounted for.

If you want on or off my pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days (most days are good days).

2 posted on 09/18/2003 8:09:53 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl ("Don't they care about the Iraqi people ..at all?"~Sama in Iraq, re. those pushing US to leave, 9/17)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
RC..FYI..about a month ago...National Geographic Explorer..which airs on MSNBC weekends..did a two hour show on this...had the good Col on screen..showed amazing pics inside the museum....well worth a watch, if you missed it...suggest you try the program guide..see when they might be repeating it....and set the VCR..
3 posted on 09/18/2003 8:30:26 AM PDT by ken5050
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
A lot of what is still missing is things like beads and seals that are not all that important. Each missing item is counted seperately. Thank God it's the more insignificant things that are missing. I think there are only 33 of the more important items that are still missing.

Interesting that a "journalist" was caught smuggling some of the artifacts. Wonder if they were one of the ones condemning the US for failing to secure the museum? Goes to show that most journalists are completely corrupt.

4 posted on 09/18/2003 9:02:43 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Bump!
5 posted on 09/18/2003 9:10:10 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl; RadioAstronomer; Physicist
Ironically, the thieves here appeared to have lost the keys to those cabinets by dropping them in one of the [now empty] plastic boxes that lined the floor. There was no electricity in the museum during this period; so the thieves lit the foam padding for light. After frantically and unsuccessfully searching for the keys in the fire-lit room, breathing in the noxious fumes from the foam and throwing those boxes in every direction, they were unable to find the keys and gain access to the storage cabinets.

We ultimately found the keys under the debris after a methodical, fully lit and hours-long search. Upon inspecting those cabinets, and opening each one with absolutely bated breath, we learned that not a single cabinet had been entered and a catastrophic loss [was] narrowly averted.

How fortuitous!

6 posted on 09/18/2003 9:29:04 AM PDT by Fifth Business
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Why haven't the left-wing presstitutes run with this ~ they we all whining about "looted" museum treasures. *sigh*
7 posted on 09/18/2003 11:33:53 AM PDT by blackie
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To: RadioAstronomer
Iraqi Museum update PING!
8 posted on 09/18/2003 2:58:11 PM PDT by Jen (Support our troops! Share the news of our military's successes that the liberal media won't report.)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Thank you for the pings to all the great 'good news' articles you post daily!
9 posted on 09/18/2003 2:59:12 PM PDT by Jen (Support our troops! Share the news of our military's successes that the liberal media won't report.)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
It's a fascinating adventure, tracking down the antiquities.

The majority of the defecit is traceable to a) intentional moving for safekeeping; and, b) inside job embezzlement.

Time to imbed more journalists: take a planeload of 'em up to the cloud tops and push 'em out.

NO QUAGMIRE HERE, BOSS

10 posted on 09/18/2003 10:05:23 PM PDT by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
"(Editor's note: Col. Bogdanos, a Marine reservist, led the investigation into the looting of the Iraq National Museum. Prior to being called up on Sept. 11, 2001, he was a homicide prosecutor in the New York City District Attorney's office. He has a law degree and a master's degree in classical studies from Columbia University. This is a condensed transcript of a briefing he gave last week.)"

Wonderful article! Col. Bogdanos' curriculum vitae is quite unusual and makes him the perfect person to conduct this investigation!

11 posted on 09/20/2003 12:39:30 PM PDT by windchime
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