"US troops 'encouraged' Iraqi looters"

[Czar]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3003393.stm

 

[sMiLeYz]

OH fvck what do you know?

Hey guys! Now it's ok to say it's Bush's fault!

 

[Fencer128]

I hope that this turns out to be false. If not - the soldiers involved in the alleged instances of inciting the crowd and expressing public satisfaction at the looting should be disciplined appropriately.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: Fencer128
I hope that this turns out to be false. If not - the soldiers involved in the alleged instances of inciting the crowd and expressing public satisfaction at the looting should be disciplined appropriately.

Cheers,

Andy

I agree

 

[jjones]

Doesn't look like much of a story to me. If you want to see real looting, how about this.

All we need to do now is figure out if it was Syria, France or Russia that helped get it out of the country.

 

[Czar]

there is also this story which is much more scary
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3002169.stm

Mohamed ElBaradei - head of the International Atomic Energy Agency - wrote to Washington last Wednesday to request that an investigative team be allowed into Iraq, but has not yet received a response, according to a spokeswoman.

The agency is concerned that radioactive material known to be stored at several Iraqi sites could pose health and environmental risks, and there are also fears they could be used to create a so-called "dirty bomb".

"We have been assured by the US that they would secure these facilities, but the agency finds these reports [of looting] disturbing," said IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming.

On Saturday, a Washington Post reporter travelling with a special US defence department team visited the Baghdad Nuclear Research Facility. US soldiers at the site told him Iraqis had been "coming in by the score" for two weeks. The team found radioactive material scattered around the site.


Also on Saturday, a New York Times reporter with the same team visited the nearby Tuwaitha site, again finding radioactive material stored haphazardly around the site and indications that, even by Saturday, little or nothing had been done to prevent looting.

 

[sMiLeYz]

You know I found it symbolic when the Oil wells are better guarded than the museums of ancient history. It's not like people can walk off drums of oil. But it says alot about how screwed up the troops priorities were.

 

[DZip]

Typical BBC (Blame Bush Constantly) reported slant. With all this concern over the looting I am wondering who did the looting? It was the Iraqi's not the Americans, that stole or destroyed the treasures. These were their treasures and assets and they did not have much concern for their protection. The Iraqi's destroyed more historical artifacts than the Americans did with bombs or artillery. Ask the people we saw on TV carrying looted goods what they are doing with 7000-year-old artifacts. I guess they just want to put flowers in that vase.

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
You know I found it symbolic when the Oil wells are better guarded than the museums of ancient history. It's not like people can walk off drums of oil. But it says alot about how screwed up the troops priorities were.

Exactly the same thing crossed my mind but then I realized that the protection of the oil wells was necessary to prevent sabotage and ecological destruction. The troops priorities weren't screwed up but there should have been some additional orders to keep looters and thieves out of the museum.

 

[Fencer128]

Originally posted by: DZip
Typical BBC (Blame Bush Constantly) reported slant. With all this concern over the looting I am wondering who did the looting? It was the Iraqi's not the Americans, that stole or destroyed the treasures. These were their treasures and assets and they did not have much concern for their protection. The Iraqi's destroyed more historical artifacts than the Americans did with bombs or artillery. Ask the people we saw on TV carrying looted goods what they are doing with 7000-year-old artifacts. I guess they just want to put flowers in that vase.

It is a thin line between not liking what you read and blaming the authors for being peddlers of propaganda. The article makes this quite clear that these allegations stem from the remarks made by locals. I see no reason why that shouldn't be reported. If it wasn't reported one could be accused of only reporting from a pro-US viewpoint. Wait for the full facts before you make your judgement on the validity of these allegations by all means (as I will) - but don't automatically discredit the source because the article didn't appear on your favourite news site.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
You know I found it symbolic when the Oil wells are better guarded than the museums of ancient history. It's not like people can walk off drums of oil. But it says alot about how screwed up the troops priorities were.

oil wells are more important than some rock or statue made some time ago. If the people of iraq, or any other thieves, had any ounce of respect for iraq's past, they wouldn't looted the museums. Don't look at GIs to give a damn about museums when they're still fighting a war. My gf drags me to these cultural centers all the time. The best place for a nap, in my opinion.

 

[LilBlinbBlahIce]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
You know I found it symbolic when the Oil wells are better guarded than the museums of ancient history. It's not like people can walk off drums of oil. But it says alot about how screwed up the troops priorities were.

oil wells are more important than some rock or statue made some time ago. If the people of iraq, or any other thieves, had any ounce of respect for iraq's past, they wouldn't looted the museums. Don't look at GIs to give a damn about museums when they're still fighting a war. My gf drags me to these cultural centers all the time. The best place for a nap, in my opinion.

No one ever claimed you had any culture Dari, don't worry. The point is we could have allocated enough troops to defend both the oilfields and other important buildings within Iraq. Whether one beleives this was a war for oil or not, securing the oilfields not only prevents possible ecological disasters, but at the end of the day, it is the only major source of revenue for the Iraqi people. As for the looting of the museum etc, there was a whole huge thread on it. I think it was established the the looting was conducted by organized criminal gangs who employed "professional" methods to breach the museums security aparatus. Most of the other looting was of gov. buildings. Does that make it ok? Depends on your point of view I guess. The way I see it, the Iraqi gov. lived in the lap of luxury while the people lived in squallor. Those palaces were built and furnished using oil money that should have been allocated for purchasing food and medecine. Do I agree with the looters? No, but I am willing to try and understand why they would do it. I have food on my table, live in a secure country, have a roof over my head and I know when and where my next meal is coming from, so really who am I to judge?

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: LilBlinbBlahIce

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz
You know I found it symbolic when the Oil wells are better guarded than the museums of ancient history. It's not like people can walk off drums of oil. But it says alot about how screwed up the troops priorities were.

oil wells are more important than some rock or statue made some time ago. If the people of iraq, or any other thieves, had any ounce of respect for iraq's past, they wouldn't looted the museums. Don't look at GIs to give a damn about museums when they're still fighting a war. My gf drags me to these cultural centers all the time. The best place for a nap, in my opinion.

No one ever claimed you had any culture Dari, don't worry. The point is we could have allocated enough troops to defend both the oilfields and other important buildings within Iraq. Whether one beleives this was a war for oil or not, securing the oilfields not only prevents possible ecological disasters, but at the end of the day, it is the only major source of revenue for the Iraqi people. As for the looting of the museum etc, there was a whole huge thread on it. I think it was established the the looting was conducted by organized criminal gangs who employed "professional" methods to breach the museums security aparatus. Most of the other looting was of gov. buildings. Does that make it ok? Depends on your point of view I guess. The way I see it, the Iraqi gov. lived in the lap of luxury while the people lived in squallor. Those palaces were built and furnished using oil money that should have been allocated for purchasing food and medecine. Do I agree with the looters? No, but I am willing to try and understand why they would do it. I have food on my table, live in a secure country, have a roof over my head and I know when and where my next meal is coming from, so really who am I to judge?

for oncem I agree with you. And I do have culture. But museums are still excellent for naps.

 

[mastertech01]

I guess you havent been following the news well. Most of the artifacts from the museum were never looted, it was a story trumped up. Only about 25 items are now missing and they were probably gone BEFORE the shooting started.