Inside Iraq - Reopening Iraq's museum - 13 Mar 09 - Part 2
- 12 years ago
The looting of Iraqs National Museum in 2003 traumatized the nation. Many Iraqis watched as broken priceless artifacts were thrown on the floor of the museum, symbolizing the smothering of their country. Today, the museum reopens 6 years after it became a symbol of chaos and anarchy in 2003 after Saddam Hussein was removed from power.
More than 15,000 artifacts and works from its collections have been stolen since then. Experts believe many were smuggled out of the country and sold abroad. Critics accuse the US army of gross negligence because its troops did nothing to stop the pillage, which went on for days, a reputation made worse when a US tank blasted a hole in the wall of the museum.
For 6 years, Iraqi archeologists have worked to recover around half of the stolen items and use them to refurbish museum. While the museum is open for visitors, many claim that the premature opening of the museum was intended for political purposes and as a publicity stunt to boost prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki's image and to show the Iraqi public and international community that life is slowly returning to normal in Iraq. Whose responsibility is it to ensure the safe return of Iraq's stolen treasures? Are the artifacts currently on display safe or was the museum opened too hastily?
More than 15,000 artifacts and works from its collections have been stolen since then. Experts believe many were smuggled out of the country and sold abroad. Critics accuse the US army of gross negligence because its troops did nothing to stop the pillage, which went on for days, a reputation made worse when a US tank blasted a hole in the wall of the museum.
For 6 years, Iraqi archeologists have worked to recover around half of the stolen items and use them to refurbish museum. While the museum is open for visitors, many claim that the premature opening of the museum was intended for political purposes and as a publicity stunt to boost prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki's image and to show the Iraqi public and international community that life is slowly returning to normal in Iraq. Whose responsibility is it to ensure the safe return of Iraq's stolen treasures? Are the artifacts currently on display safe or was the museum opened too hastily?