More On The Looting Of Antiquities

In my last post I took exception with the military's handling of the National Museum looting. Now to go to the opposite end of the spectrum, after reading this piece in the Sunday Herald I feel it is necessary to defend the military and Administration against BS claims.

For as horrendous as the incident at the Museum was, we have actually done an excellent job throughout the nation of protecting priceless Iraqi treasures. To see an article that is accusing us of planning to loot is ludicrous.

The American Council for Cultural Policy does campaign for reducing the restrictions on the movement of antiquities worldwide. They are really the free marketeer extreme of the antiquities world. And to recognize them as such is fine.

But just because they happened to meet with the Administration and DoD officials does not mean that it is now official US policy to allow looting for the purpose of enriching the antiquities market. Their position notwithstanding, they may have been able to provide some invaluable insights and there is nothing wrong with listening to what they have to say - same as they needed to listen to the folks who want antiquities to only be seen inside museums. Listening to contrasting points of view is all part of the information gathering process.

The Administration has not gone and changed the laws of Iraq to facilitate the free movement of antiquities. The military isn't going and looting the cultural treasures of the nation. We aren't out taking priceless artifacts as the booty of war for some great triumphal procession. We haven't done anything to make the lives of antiquities smugglers any easier.

Is it right to call the looting of the National Museum deplorable and a historical tragedy? Absolutely. But is it right to accuse the Administration and military of planning to loot? Not at all. And the evidence on the ground doesn't bear out the accusation.

Calling to account for a tragedy is one thing, anti-American scare mongering is another.