Looters return objects to museum

ic Liverpool ^ | 4/19/03

[knak]

Baghdad residents returned 20 looted pieces from Iraq's ransacked national collection holding some of the earliest artefacts of civilisation.

Iraq's antiquities chief, Jabar Hilil, yesterday called looting of Iraq's national museum following entry of US forces the "crime of the century."

And he questioned why US forces made no move to safeguard it in the days of chaos that followed the toppling of President Saddam Hussein's government.

But Hilil left open the possibility that losses were not as absolute as first thought.

With no electricity in Baghdad, he said, museum operators had yet to make a full assessment of the now-unlit underground vaults in which they had stashed many pieces for safekeeping as war came.

Even in the dark, he said, it was clear the storage rooms had been breached.

"We cannot say how many pieces were taken, but it is disastrous," Donny George, director general of research for the state board of antiquities, told reporters.

Museum officials declined to let journalists into the museum to see the damage directly.

Interpol and the FBI pledged to try to help recover the goods. Museum officials yesterday indicated that they had had no contact from the US investigators.

They urged governments around the world to block any sale of the looted goods -- citing Switzerland, the US, Israel and Japan as the markets where smuggled art was most likely to surface.

[bybybill]

We are getting all the blame for this all the while Iraqis took the stuff. What I`m I messing here?

[Verginius Rufus]

Either Jabar was a Saddam loyalist or he was good at avoiding politics, if he had that position under Saddam's regime. The century is still young, and there will be many other candidates for "crime of the century," but in my opinion the murder of 3,000 people on 9/11 was a greater crime than the looting of the museum.

[JoJo Gunn]

And that creep didn't mention the meathooks and acid baths of his own country. What "priorities"....

[Howlin]

What I`m I messing here?

You seem to be missing an anti-American, lying liberal freedom bashing brain, why?

[goodnesswins]

"Crime of the century?" ROFL.......these guys really are DELUSIONAL. Bet a lot of the countrymen and women won't see it that way....

[Rodney King]

Iraq's antiquities chief, Jabar Hilil, yesterday called looting of Iraq's national museum following entry of US forces the "crime of the century."

Much, much, worse than the slaugheter of 6 million jews. /sarcasm.

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[GovernmentShrinker]

Museum officials declined to let journalists into the museum to see the damage directly.

No comment.

[lilylangtree]

"he questioned why US forces made no move to safeguard it in the days of chaos that followed"

It didn't occur to the Iraqi twerp that other things were more important than that bloody museum.

[GailA]

Our local talk host in Memphis said that the Cultural guy from the Bush administration, the one who resigned was a Slick Willie appointee. Bent on damaging Dubya. This one was an INSIDE JOB. It's been reported by Hannity, Rush, Beck and probably local talk radio host as such...even UNESCO says it's an professional job.

[Carolinamom]

This was no "crime of the century."

[pacpam]

I have read articles that said
1. Museum employees could evacuate to safety artifacts in 24 hours.
2. Pentagon said no protection would be forthcoming prior to U.S. entering Baghdad so Museum curators knew.
3. Looters had keys.

Blame America is not working if you don't close your eyes.

[bybybill]

took me a minute there, you got me

[Mike Darancette]

Iraq's antiquities chief, Jabar Hilil, yesterday called looting of Iraq's national museum following entry of US forces the "crime of the century."

As compared to looting of Iraq's national museum BEFORE entry of US forces?

[Nefertiti]

For more reading about this subject

Experts Thieves Pillaged Iraqi Museums Posted on 04/17/2003

Looters Ransack Baghdad's Antiquities Museum Posted on 04/12/2003

TTFN

Nefertiti@-->---

[edwin hubble]

"3. Looters had keys. "

This was probably the work of Ba'athist operatives...
Moving assets out in advance of the occupation.

It may eventually come out.

[mass55th]

"Iraq's antiquities chief, Jabar Hilil, yesterday called looting of Iraq's national museum following entry of US forces the "crime of the century."

I wonder how he would rate Iraq's looting of Kuwait's antiquities in the Gulf War, not to mention the rape, murder and pillage of that country.

[The Wizard]

1. The Iraqis stole this chit

2. Now it appears they haven't even looked everywhere they just screamed it was done before they really looked

3. obviously democrats

[FreedomCalls]

"Crime of the century?"

The Century is only three years old so far.