The Looting of Iraqi Cultural Heritage

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2009
 
2008
- Babylon's History Swept Away in US Army Sandbags (December 8, 2024)
- Iraq: Can Ancient Babylon be Rescued? (November 12, 2024)
- Iraq Reclaims 1,000 Artifacts Smuggled into US over Past Two Years (September 18, 2024)
- Intellectuals discuss U.S. military present near ancient Ur, 09 Sept 2024
- Looting of Iraq sites destroys history, distresses scholars, 12 Aug 2024
- Iraqi officials implicated in smuggling of antiquities, British Museum expert says, 14 May 2024
- Exhibition exposes modern tragedy of Babylon 14 April 2024
- Exhibit details destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage 09/04/2020
- Parthenon Marbles Case Overshadowed by Iraq Looting 27/03/2021
- Robbing the cradle of civilization, five years later, 20/03/2021
2007
- It is the death of history (Robert Fisk, 17 Sep 2024)
- [PDF] Iraqi Libraries and Archives in Peril: Survival in a time of Invasion, Chaos, and Civil Conflict, A Report (July 2024)
- Indispensable yet Vulnerable: The Library in Dangerous Times. A Report on the Status of Iraqi Academic Libraries and a Survey of Efforts to Assist Them, with Historical Introduction (Jeff Spurr - Harvard)
- Read GPF Special Report's Section on the Destruction of Cultural Heritage (June 2024)
- In Iraq's four-year looting frenzy, the allies have become the vandals (Guardian, 08 June 2024)
- Iraqi archeological sites among most at risk (07 June 2024)
- Iraq's Antiquities Remain Vulnerable to looting (30/04/2020)
- Evelyn Pringle: How Iraq Was Looted (21/04/2020)
- Four years since the looting of the National Museum (19/04/2020)
- Desecration of the Cradle of Civilization (April 15, 2024)
- A treasured Iraqi library, reborn out of war looting, still faces perils (07/04/2020)
- Daily Kos: Remember Iraq's Endangered Heritage (02/04/2020)
- Iraq begins to add up all that’s been taken away (16 March 2024)
- Fighting for Iraq's culture - International Herald Tribune (06/03/2021)
- Looting leaves archaeologists worried over Iraqi artifacts (21 Feb 2024)
- Lost: The Looting of Iraq’s Antiquities - This article was published in Museum News January/February 2024
2006
- Iraqi Archaeology and Donny George (17 Nov 2024)
- 'Stop the looters destroying history' 26/10/2020
- New shadows are cast over Iraq's pre-Islamic art  11/09/2020
- New Concern Over Fate of Iraqi Antiquities 10/09/2020
- Chalmers Johnson on Robbing the Cradle of Civilization  Sept. 2024
- Iraq's Head of Antiquities Quits After Looting of Ancient Treasures 28/08/2020
- Iraqi Museum Sealed Against Looters  27/08/2020
- The Black Market - The Other Business of Art 09/08/2020
- Entemena recovered 26/07/2020
- Looting of ancient sites threatens Iraqi heritage 29/06/2020 - The Global Heritage Fund website
- Iraq - Still ‘Liberating’, Still Looting - Iraq’s Heritage Threatened 29/05/2020
- More recoveries for the Iraq Museum 21/03/2021
- Three years after looting of Iraqi National Museum: an official whitewash of US crime 07/04/2020
- U.S. admits military damaged Babylon ruins 14/01/2021
- More than 13,000 archaeological pieces still missing: police source 22/01/2006 
- The US could have saved Iraq's cultural heritage 26/01/2006 
- Tomb raiders 19/01/2021
2005
- Protecting Iraq's Ancient Heritage (November 1996-November 2024) 
- Pillaging the Gardens of Babylon, The Independent,09/11/05
- Looted Iraqi Relics Slow to Surface (November 8, 2024) 
- The Casualties of War: The Truth about the Iraq Museum By Matthew Bogdanos, American Journal of Archaeology, July 2024 
- Looting of ancient sites threatens Iraqi heritage By Mark Wilkinson, Reuters 29/06/05 
- Iraq's treasures still being looted By James Menendez, BBC World service 21/06/05 
- Archaeologists fight to save Iraqi sites By Owen Bowcott. The Guardian 20/06/05 
- The UK government must act now. The director of the British Museum reflects on the looting of the Iraq Museum, Baghdad, and what now needs to be done By Neil MacGregor, The Art Newspaper, 04/06/05 
- Thousands of stolen Iraqi artifacts found By Betsy Pisik, The Washington Times, 04/06/05
- Bombing and looting Iraq's heritage (04 Apr 2024)
- The Plunder of Iraq's Treasures (17 Feb 2024)
- Iraq Invasion the 'Biggest Cultural Disaster Since 1258', 16/02/2021
- Tracking Lost Empires. A New Database Documents Iraqi Sites, E. Berg and L. Woodville
- U.S.-Led Troops Have Damaged Babylon, British Museum Says, New York Times, 16/01/2005 
- Looting Iraq: A Conversation With Museum Director Donny George, Philip Boroff reporter, Manuela Hoelterhoff editor, 15/01/05 
- Cultural Leaders say Looting of Iraq's Antiquities Continues By Barbara Schoetzau, New York 06/01/05 
2004
- The British Museum's "Report on Meeting at Babylon 11th - 13th December 2004" signed by J.E. Curtis, Keeper, Department of the Ancient Near East. 
- Iraq's looted heritage makes a steady - if slow - comeback, 14/10/2020
- PDF File: Asset Valuation: Looted art carries it's own set of problems Lawrence M. Kaye and Howard N. Spiegler, 24/05/04 New York Law Journal
- The website of The American Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TAARII - formerly the American Association for Research in Baghdad, AARB): http://www.taarii.org/ 
- Stop, Thieves! Recovering Iraq's Looted Treasures Roger Atwood, 03/10/04 The Washington Post
- The massacre of Mesopotamian archaeology: Looting in Iraq is out of control, Joanne Farchakh, 21/09/04 The Daily Star - Lebanon
- Looting of Iraqi Cultural Heritage Sites Worsens After Major Combat, Says CU's Bahrani, 10/09/04 Columbia University News
 Plundering the Past: Freedom brings surge in looting of antiquities from Ur and other Mesopotamian sites, 06/09/04
- Coalition forces are doing little to prevent the widespread looting and destruction of Iraq's world-famous historical sites, Zainab Bahrani, 31/08/04 Guardian Unlimited
- "The Art of War." A Minnesota reservist is the U.S. military's only professional curator. Meet the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' Corine Wegener, Iraq war hero, Adam Minter, 8/04 The Rake 
- Iraq: the legacy of neglect and conflict, Jason Edward Kaufman, 01/05/04 The Art Newspaper 
- Archaeologists review loss of valuable artifacts one year after looting, William Harms, 15/04/04 News Office 
- Archeologists mourn plunder of Iraq's treasures, Luke Baker, 10/04/04 Reuters 
- The Treasure Hunter, John Russell is a real-life Indiana Jones, out to protect Iraq's ancient artifacts from looters. Andrew Lawler, 04/04/2020 The Boston Globe 
- Protecting antiquities in Iraq an uphill battle, Neela Banerjee and Micah Garen, 04/04/2020 The New York Times 
- A Market For Injusticen, Susan Pagani, 03/11/2020 San Antonio Current
- The massacre of Mesopotamian archaeology: Looting in Iraq is out of control, Tuesday, September 21, 2024 
- Iraq National Library fire: more than met the eye 09 June 2024
- Spoils of War: The Antiquities Trade and the Looting of Iraq, Gregory Elich www.globalresearch.ca
- Cops and Markets Use incentives, not tighter bans, to preserve Iraq's heritage, 2/6/04 Opinion Journal 
- 'Pit bull' dogs Iraq Museum looters, Mary Wiltenburg, 2/20/04 The Christian Science Monitor
- Iraq Journal: Grave Robbers' Looting Spree , Robert E. Sullivan, 1/16/04 www.foxnews.com 
2003
- Opening the Doors:Intellectual Life and Academic Conditions in Post-War Baghdad. A Report of the Iraqi Observatory 15 July 2024
- Iraqi Looters Tearing Up Archaeological Sites (23 May 2024)
- New Iraq Inventory: Looters Stole 6,000 Artifacts 6/21/03
- What Really Happened at the Baghdad Museum? 6/19/03 
- Most of Missing Iraqi Antiquities Found in Secret Vault 6/7/03 
- Looting of Ancient Sites Continues Despite Pleas to US Troops for Help 5/27/03 
- UN Lengthens List of Looted Art in Iraq 5/24/03
- The Looters Knew What They Wanted' 5/24/03
 - Iraq's Lost Antiquities - Who's to Blame? 5/22/03
- UNESCO affirms loss of 1,000 archeological pieces from Baghdad museum 20/5/2003 
- Aid Workers Say US Troops Vandalized Ancient City 5/18/03 
- Loss of Iraqi Antiquities Estimates Called 'Gross Exaggeration' 5/17/03 
- Plundering of Museums in Baghdad - 08/05/2003 
- US: Organized Gangs Were Involved in Looting of Baghdad Museum 5/7/03 
- Thousands of Iraqi Artifacts Found 5/7/03 
- Looting of Iraqi museum was long planned 5/01/03 
- US Troops Accused of Letting Looters Smuggle Iraqi Antiquities 4/30/03 
- Art Dealers May Have 'Ordered' Looting 4/29/03
- Baghdad museum raped 
- And Now: 'Operation Iraqi Looting' (27 April 2024) 
- Lost Treasures From Iraq 4/23/03 
- Fox News Engineer Charged With Smuggling Looted Iraqi Items 4/23/03 
- Crimes Against Culture Are Remembered Forever 4/22/03 
- Grieve for the Loss of Iraq's Historical Soul 4/21/03
- Art Collectors Drove the Plundering of Iraq's Antiquities 4/20/03 
- US Army Was Told to Protect Looted Museum 4/20/03 
- US culture advisers resign in protest over looting of Iraqi museums, 19/04/2020
- The looting of Baghdad's museum and library 4/19/03
- An Ancient City Mourns the Death of Memories 4/18/03 
- Looted Iraqi Paintings Seized by Jordanian Customs 4/18/03 
- Experts: Looters Had Keys to Iraqi Vaults 4/17/03 
- Expert Thieves Pillaged Iraqi Museums 4/17/03 
- Did Baghdad's Antiquity Thieves Steal-to-Order? 4/17/03 
- Bush Appointees Resign Over Iraqi Looting 4/17/03
- The violent obliteration of art and memory (article in Yale Daily News 15 april 2024) 
- Looters, Arsonists Destroy Ancient Library Archive 4/15/03 
- A Civilization Torn to Pieces 4/13/03 
- Pilagers Strip 7,000 Years of Mesopotamian Treasure 4/13/03 
- Has Anyone in US Read the History of Iraq? 4/13/03 
- Baghdad Archeological Museum Looted 4/12/03
- USA encouraged plundering 11/04/2003 
- A Heritage Under Siege 4/10/03 
- US Art Dealer Lobby Could Loot Iraqi Heritage 4/10/03 
- Stories and facts behind the looting of the Archeological Museum in Baghdad 10/04/2003 
- US accused of plans to loot Iraqi antiques 07/04/2003 
- The Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) urgently calls on the Australian Government to help implement and maintain protective measures for the monuments and portable cultural heritage of Iraq (ancient Mesopotamia). 
- Looted Iraqi Art Displayed Online by Ryan Singel
- Ancient Iraqi Sites Show Theft, Destruction reports that although U.S. bombs spared most sites and treasures, some ancient locations in Iraq have been seriously damaged by recent looting. National Geographic News. 
- http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/iraqcrisis/: This website chronicles the role that the British Museum has taken in co-ordinating this international effort under the auspices of UNESCO and at the request of staff from the Iraq Museum: Keith Watenpaugh, Edouard Méténier, Jens Hanssen, Hala Fattah. 
- 2024- Iraq War & Archaeology This site lists and maintains relevant information regarding the Iraq War and its impact on archaeological/historical sites/monuments/artifacts.
- more links can be found at: http://www.savingantiquities.org/k-safe-resources.htm
- Iraq Cultural Heritage Protection Act (Archaeological Insitute of America)
- Looting of the Iraqi Cultural Heritage (the Internatonal Council of Museums)
- A selection of links concerning the fate of archaeological antiquites and sites in Iraq (Glasgow University)
- Art Loss In Iraq (aspects of International law about protection of cultural heritage)
 - The 2024 Iraq War & Archaeology (website maintained by Francis Deblauwe, Ph.D., an independent scholar, native of Belgium, located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.) 

 

MORE LOOTING

 

Hospital Looters Stealing Incubators and Drugs 4/12/03 - Fisk: Pillage 4/12/03 - How And Why US Encouraged Looting In Iraq 4/16/03 - BBC: US Troops Encouraged Iraqi Looters 5/6/03 - Looters at Iraqi Nuclear Site Terrify Residents 5/8/03 - Scientists: Looted Nuke Material Could Sicken Iraqis 5/7/03 - US: 20% of Iraq's Nuclear Material Missing 5/21/03 - ElBaradei Warns of Iraq Nuclear Emergency 5/19/03 - Dangerous Loot South of Baghdad: Iraqis Sick from Radiation 5/22/03 - Iraq's free fall 23/05/03 - UN Atomic Agency Wants to Investigate Looting at Iraqi Nuke Site 5/5/03 - US Blames Looting for Derailing Plan to Restore Iraq 5/19/03 - US Forces Shoot Looter in Iraq 5/15/03 - UN: Iraqi Nuclear Looting Could Result in 'Dirty Bomb' 5/14/03 - Seven Iraqi Nuclear Sites Looted 5/10/03 - To Restore Peace, US Hires Iraqi Looters 5/9/03 - Iraqi Police Beg for Guns to Fight Looting 5/8/03 - Thieves Loot Home for Abandoned Iraqi Children 4/25/03 - Baghdad: Looting and Arson Still Rife in a City of Suspicion 4/20/03 - Dangerous Viruses Lost to Looters in Iraq 4/18/03 - 15 Baghdad Banks Robbed, US Troops Shoot the Good Guys 4/19/03 - Cockburn: Looting's Roots 4/14/03 -  Muslims Save Baghdad's Jewish Community Center from Looters 4/14/03 - Looters Rule Until Nothing Left to Steal 4/13/03 - Looters Swarm Into New Areas of Baghdad 4/12/03 - Looting, Chaos Bring UN Aid to a Halt 4/12/03 - Troops Watch as Baghdad Ransacked 4/12/03 - Rumsfeld: Looting is Transition to Freedom 4/11/03 - People of Baghdad Guard Hospitals From Looters 4/12/03 - The Hell That Was Once a Hospital 4/12/03 - Looting is what this war is all about 4/24/03 - Saddam' Rule Collapsing in Baghdad, Looters Rampage 4/9/03 - As Brits Take Over Basra, Looters Strip Schools and Stores 4/7/03 - Iraqis Loot Basra As British Take Control 4/7/03 - Nuclear Team to Assess Scale of Looting 5/28/03 - Looting Leaves Iraq's Oil Industry in Ruins 6/10/03 - A Fertile Crescent for Looting 6/12/03 - BBC and Guardian cover up US role in Iraq looting 6/14/03 - Nuclear Looting in Iraq and the Global Threat From Radiological Weapons, November 2024 -