Expert Thieves Took Artifacts, UNESCO Says (Don't blame the US!)

The Washington Post ^ | April 18, 2003 | Robert J. McCartney

[FairOpinion]

Matsuura said top museum officials tried to protect the institution, but the thieves may have succeeded in paying off guards or other low-ranking personnel. He said he doesn't blame the U.S. military, even though UNESCO had urged the U.S. government before the war to safeguard it and other cultural sites.

"If I were to blame somebody, it would be those armed bandits who looted their own cultural treasury," Matsuura said. The museum was assaulted during "a power vacuum" following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's government, and "anything could happen in such confusion and turmoil," he said.

[FairOpinion]

There are some exaggerations in the article, but the truth is slowly coming out.

I think for UNESCO to stop blaming the US is quite a step forward.

Do you think the main media will apologize for getting the story completely wrong and whipping up a frenzy over the "negligence" of US troops for not protecting the Iraqi artifacts?

And people say Debka is inaccurate!

For those who are interested, here are some of the stories coming out the past few days, debunking the orginal frenzied accusations:

Steal this vase? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/895788/posts

Many others are looters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/895649/posts

Experts: Looters had keys to Iraqi antiquity vaults http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/895129/posts

Looting not as bad, as feared http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/895267/posts

Iraqis selling antiquitites( 1996!) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/894176/posts

Churning: rethinking Museum Looting http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/894999/posts

And here is a set of direct links to articles( some were not posted separately at FR, just mentioned in posts of some other threads):

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB105062922276805100,00.html?mod=weekend_journal_primary_hs

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB105053292455773900,00.html?mod=article-outset-box

http://www.news-register.net/edit/story/0418202003_edt02.asp

1996: http://www.usfca.edu/~trembath/www-class/iraq-antiquities.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB10504503813207600,00.html?mod=special_page_iraq_3

http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6281650%5E25777,00.html

http://www.arab.net/iraq/iq_baghdadsights.htm

http://www.freep.com/news/nw/iraq/loot17_20030417.htm

http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6281650%255E25777,00.html

[BOBTHENAILER]

Great Post and a "Get Over It" BTTT.

[SunkenCiv]

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