"Product (sic) 54/64": Shang Dynasty Sword: 4,000 Year old Bronze Shang Dynasty Sword Acquired by U.S. Military during a tour of Iraq from one of Saddam Hussein's Palaces. Museum Piece and Gallery 63 has it!"
What does it mean "acquired by U.S. Military during a tour of Iraq "? You mean pure and simple looted by U.S. Military. A museum piece - looted by US soldiers from an Iraqi museum. Well, as Donald Rumsfeld famously said "stuff happens" in a US led invasion of a sovereign country. Auction is on Sun, Feb 13th @ 11am.
Hat-tip Ton Cremers MSN
.jpg)
4 comments:
I'm as much against the invasion of Iraq as anyone could be, but let's be clear:
1. Whoever took this sword was almost certainly not "soldiers" but a single soldier.
2. Looting by soldiers is against the laws of war, and this soldier should be, and may end up being, charged.
3. Very little of the massive looting of Iraq's heritage following the invasion was done by troops.
4. The US military's real crime -- unfortunately, not one for which anyone can be held responsible, since the law of war has not caught up to the fact that much looting in wartime situations now is done by civilians for the antiquities markets -- was negligence in failing to protect the sites and museums in areas they liberated.
For the individual or individuals responsible to be identified and charged, first of all people have to care. To find this advertised in such a carefree way is the shocking thing. I think if truth were known, there's been a lot of this going on. Remember the Youlos Torah scroll story? The US military unit named did not even bother acknowledging a request for information.
I am aware of 'containers' full of items confiscated during wartime, in the possession of the invading military. These items were made available to certain military officials. I hope that people are not ignorant to that fact. Perhaps this is a part of war, but I find it very sad.
Thanks "erniepoythress" for your comment, while I am in agreement with much of what you say, I'll only publish it if you change the first bit about a third person. Your accusation has no place here.
Post a Comment