Looting vanquishes Babylon's artifacts

[dArKeR]

SUMERAFP , Babylon
Wednesday, Jul 07, 2004,Page 7

US soldiers enter the ancient city of Babylon, 100km south of Baghdad, June 13, 2004.The US-led coalition in Iraq has closed the ancient site of Babylon over worries about the ``safety and care'' of the archaeological treasure, a June 17 statement said.
PHOTO: AFP
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/photo/2004/07/07/2003139182

The last remains of some of mankind's earliest cities have virtually disappeared through unprecedented looting triggered by the US-led invasion of Iraq, experts said.

Lawlessness and instability have accelerated a process that started in the 1990s but has now reached critical levels, with dozens of archaeological sites plundered to extinction in the past year.

The presence of US-led troops in one of the world's most glorious ancient capitals has not helped either.

The ancient people of Iraq, often described as the cradle of civilization, are credited with inventing the wheel, writing and mathematics and developing a culture and history which has resonated through the ages.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/07/07/2003178035

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. "writing and mathematics and developing a culture and history "

And chimp invades & is going to teach them the finer points of democracy and "freedom".


The US military is primarily to blame for the destruction of these sites. What do they care?

[acmavm]

2. It is articles like this that just make me so amazed the so many people

in this country think that the Iraqi people were just some backward, mud hut dwelling, ignorant savages. And believe me, I know (or rather have met, because I won't talk for too long with people this dumb) a lot of people like this. In fact, I have a couple in my family. If, by chance, we are forced to converse, I have to keep it short and to the point, or I'm afraid that I'll end up being a headline in the morning paper.

Considering the behavior of this government over the past three plus years, it could be said that WE (not us here but a lot of Americans) are a backward race of savages.

I don't think that finding newer and better ways to kill large amounts of people either outright or slowly (as with depleted uranium) a mark of a civilized or progressive nation.

[DulceDecorum]

3. The missing link

http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/will/CPP/gandhi.html