[CPProt.net] Baghdad Museum - looted before the war started

[Daniel VanArsdale]

Hello CPProt.net list members,
        If the director of the Baghdad museum looted the museum, what
motive would he have to then cover it up by allowing the museum to be
looted? With the change in
goverment in Iraq, he would not gain by such a ruse, as he would be
sought after as
a looter in any case, and likely arrested if he was found with any
antiquities (as the
current accusation would indicate). In my opinion, either he will escape
the coalition
and new government in Iraq with any stolen goods, or not, and the
looting would not protect him at all from proscecution by coalition
forces and the new government of Iraq. Either he can successfully market
any stolen antiquities in a way as to not reveal his hand in the theft,
or not, opening the museum to general looting hardly conceals such a
crime. He could have more easily blamed any appearing antiquities on
theft by coalition forces, or their lack of care in protecting the
resources. It just
does not make capitalistic sense, it in no way protects his ability to
liquidate the items, his only protection is to sell them in some way he
is not revealed as the seller.
       How is the recent looting, related to official looting before
anyway? The fact remains wholesale looting did not occur until the
period of anarchy after the coalition
invasion of Iraq. Coalition forces in effect removed protection of
cultural heritage, and
were unable to replace that protection, unwilling to, or failed to do so
through incompetence or corruption of some sort.
       Whatever the level of protection of cultural heritage was before,
it is clear enough it was higher than it has been for the last month.
Museums in our region also
have been looted by administrators, the South West Museum (with a
conviction of the
director), the La Brea collections at the Page museum in Los Angeles
(the former curator told me once that hundreds of dire wolf skulls were
missing from the collections, and many other items, I am not aware of
any convictions over the bulk of the thefts). So is this a conviction of
the political system in California in general? I think not, museum
administratotors and workers can probably be corrupt about any place on
occasion, whether hired for nepotism, social status, or
academic/adminstrative abilities.
      For me blame is not clear in this sad chain of events. What is
clear, is that cultural
heritage is a potential casualty of war. I would place human suffering
above cultural heritage, however, in 400 years, the loss of cultural
heritage will still be felt, and the human suffering will be forgotten.
Armies of many nations have a long history of being very bad curators of
cultural heritage that comes under their control.
Best Wishes,
Alan Van Arsdale (USA California)

Kevin.Hoover at pinkertonsystems.com wrote:

>  Well said, I agree with that take. Kevin L. Hoover
> Senior Account Manager
> Pinkerton Systems Integration
> Office 281.272.2900
> Fax 281.272.9989
>
>      -----Original Message-----
>      From: Christopher Seal [mailto:wchseal at sbcglobal.net]
>      Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2003 11:49 PM
>      To: list at cpprot.net
>      Subject: Re: [CPProt.net] Baghdad Museum - looted before the
>      war started
>
>      As I put it to Ton some time ago, the so-called "Director"
>      of the Baghdad Museum was an appointee of Saddam Hussein,
>      and, as a matter of fact, one of his Al-Takriti cousins.
>      When the report came through that the Museum staff were
>      packing up the display for "safe keeping" I predicted to Ton
>      that the Director was actually boxing up his personal
>      retirement fund and that anything that would be remain in
>      the Museum after the then upcoming conflict would be minor
>      stuff, all the rest would already have been spirited out of
>      the country for sale.
>
>      The "looting" which occurred by the general public was a
>      cover for the real looting, which took place over the past
>      couple of months. I look forward to seeing what turns up on
>      the art black market. No doubt we'll be seeing important
>      items surfacing from time to time over the next seventy-five
>      years.
>
>      Christopher Seal
>
>
>
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