Free Republic

CAIRO, Egypt -- Arabs across the Middle East blamed Saddam Hussein's repressive rule and the lack of intervention by U.S. forces for the looting and vandalism sprees that plagued Baghdad and other Iraqi cities. "This a response to 30 years of deprivation, destruction and instability under Saddam Hussein's rule," said Khaled al-Maaena, editor of a Saudi daily, the Arab News. "There is also an element of revenge against the regime, and also the general human sentiment to run wild after being cooped up for so long," he said.

April 13, 2003 Pillagers Strip Iraqi Museum of Its TreasureBy JOHN F. BURNS AGHDAD, Iraq, April 12 — The National Museum of Iraq recorded a history of civilizations that began to flourish in the fertile plains of Mesopotamia more than 7,000 years ago. But once American troops entered Baghdad in sufficient force to topple Saddam Hussein's government this week, it took only 48 hours for the museum to be destroyed, with at least 170,000 artifacts carried away by looters. The full extent of the disaster that befell the museum came to light only today, as the frenzied looting that swept...

<p>Small but determined pockets of resistance and continued civil unrest on Saturday reminded U.S. troops that the war in Baghdad is not over. Continues.</p> <p>The gruesome scene yesterday throughout the streets of Baghdad looked like something straight out of a horror flick -- or from the depths of hell. Warnings that mass chaos would follow U.S. military action in Iraq, brushed aside cavalierly as foolish pessimism from doomsayers, appeared tragically prophetic this weekend.</p>