Posted on 09/20/2010 11:48:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The Iraqi National Museum has found more than 600 missing artefacts stashed away in a storeroom of the prime minister's office, two years after the US government returned them to Iraq.
Most of the artefacts were among 15,000 relics looted during the chaos that followed the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
The 638 pieces were recovered, handed over to the premier's office and promptly lost again, officials said.
"We found these artefacts in one of the storerooms of the prime minister's office along with some kitchen appliances. When we opened the boxes we found them," Iraq's minister of tourism and antiquities Qahtan al-Jibouri said.
Iraq, regarded by some historians as the cradle of civilisation, lost part of its national heritage to widespread looting that became a powerful symbol of the breakdown of order following the 2003 invasion.
Two weeks ago, Iraqi officials announced they had recovered more than 500 other artefacts, including the headless statue of Sumerian king Entemena and a chrome-plated AK-47 that belonged to Saddam.
The latest stash includes clay slabs, glass cups, rosary beads and other relics from different periods in Mesopotamian history, as well as a Sumarian statue bearing cuneiform writing that was stolen in the 1990s.
Officials said the boxes of artefacts were simply delivered to the wrong office two years ago. They had not been opened and none of the relics had been damaged.
"It is... a misunderstanding between US and Iraq governments," said Qais Hussein, the head of Iraq's antiquities commission.
"They were supposed to be delivered to the ministry of foreign affairs or the museums, but in error they were shipped to the prime minister's office."
Not surprising.
yup no doubt just waiting to be sold off to foreign buyers no doubt for the new pm’s private bank accounts.
Gee. How much of this would’ve made the news if but for evil GWB?
Obviously the crap would’ve remained in emminently esteemed museums if but for non-evil Saddam Hussein being categorizezed as evil by GWB’s evil behaviour I guess.
Wake me up when you guys figure out who was more evil, i.e., evil-GWB or inherently non-evil Saddam Hussein’s marginal evility (if but for evil-GWB); lets raise the niggardly issue of alleged ‘yellow rain’ - something never scientifically proven - or the millions who died directly in the Iran-Iraq proxy war (or indirectly by being shoved feet-first into meat grinders so they could hear their screams prior to the onset of traumatic and fatal shock).
Liberals were convinced they were stashed away in Crawford, Texas.
Ping.
Maliki must have stashed them away for a rainy day.
Hey man, it’s not mine! I’m just holding it for a friend, I swear!
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