what does it mean...

[wideskies]

... when Americans go to war claiming to fight for the best interests of the Iraqi citizens, but then stand by doing next to nothing about raids on valuable cultural institutions?

it doesn't make sense to me.

In this http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/12/international/worldspecial/12CND-BAGH.html]NY Times article, which is specifically about the looting of the National Museum of Iraq, the reporter discusses the sad state of affairs in Baghdad-- the looting, the fires, etc. I consider it very sad that in all likelyhood the artworks and artifacts stolen from the museum, most of which are very old and precious, will never be recovered.

"Nothing remained, museum officials said, at least nothing of real value, from a museum that had been regarded by archaeologists and other specialists as perhaps the richest of all such institutions in the Middle East."

But all the more shocking to me:

"American troops have intervened only sporadically, as they did on Friday to halt a crowd of men and boys who were raiding an armory at the edge of the Republican Palace presidential compound and running away with brand-new Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons.

[The Museum Director] said he found an American Abrams tank in Museum Square, about 300 yards away, and that five marines had followed him back into the museum and opened fire above the looters' heads. This drove several thousand of the marauders out of the museum complex in minutes, he said, but when the tank crewmen left about 30 minutes later, the looters returned.

"I asked them to bring their tank inside the museum grounds," he said. "But they refused and left. About half an hour later, the looters were back, and they threatened to kill me, or to tell the Americans that I am a spy for Saddam Hussein's intelligence, so that the Americans would kill me. So I was frightened, and I went home.

-snip-

He spoke with deep bitterness against the Americans, as have many Iraqis who have watched looting that began with attacks on government agencies and the palaces and villas of Mr. Hussein, his family and his inner circle broaden into a tidal wave that targeted just about every government institution, even ministries dealing with issues like higher education, trade and agriculture, and hospitals.

-snip-

Mr. Mohammad, the archaeologist, directed much of his anger at President Bush. "A country's identity, its value and civilization resides in its history," he said. "If a country's civilization is looted, as ours has been here, its history ends. Please tell this to President Bush. Please remind him that he promised to liberate the Iraqi people, but that this is not a liberation, this is a humiliation."

If the US is so set on protecting the Iraqis, why aren't they intervening in lootings of museums, universities and HOSPITALS?

It will be all the more difficult for Iraq to get back on its feet when it's missing some of its greatest cultural institutions. :/

[sobeton]

it means we have created a cluster f*ck in Iraq. it means further that the US will be in Iraq for years to come. it means more lives civilian and military will be lost. it means we won the battle, but we haven't even begun to address the war.

it means we better be concerned, that Turkey has sent over 10,000 of there troops to there border. with the intention of protecting there interest, in Iraq if they need to, since they feel the US can't.

it means we better wake the f*ck up.

[toystory]

it means were walkin a fine line with getting rid of the prev. government, and becoming the gov. ourselves.

rough stuff but iraqis are startin to take care of biz themselves. neighborhood patrols and checkpoints. its their country anyway we cant run it for them

[siceone]

jesus christ more doomsayers the fucking country just lost it's entire gov't, shit when people don't like a court ruling in this country they loot and riot this is nothing new.. you people have no stomach

[pumavisor808]

Exactly, people in this country will loot and destroy their entire city over a bad court case....You don't think the Iraqi's have any bent up anger towards their gov't... They probably think they are owed what they are taking....

[frenchbread]

well...

i think one detail is funny:

while baghdad is under looting, and total anarchy, and the rest of the country is experiencing a similar fate, there are 2 things that are guarded from the beginning by u.s. marines:

1. oil fields throughout the country

2. the ministry of oil in baghdad

(but the gov't went there for the good of the iraqi people...not for the oil...)

[wideskies]

what i am saying is that part of what can draw a country's people together after trauma is a sense of shared culture and history.

the fact that places like museums and universities are being destroyed should not be taken lightly and should be taken into consideration by the country that is supposed to be AIDING these people.

apparently, although some of you mightyou seem to find what i'm getting at a bit too subtle.

*slight shrug*

[cintron]

Originally posted by wideskies

what i am saying is that part of what can draw a country's people together after trauma is a sense of shared culture and history.

the fact that places like museums and universities are being destroyed should not be taken lightly and should be taken into consideration by the country that is supposed to be AIDING these people.

apparently, although some of you mightyou seem to find what i'm getting at a bit too subtle.

*slight shrug*

I see what you're saying. It's as if, in their wild rioting and rebellion, they are destroying their history and culture because they are viewing it as connected to Saddam's regime and government.

Yeah, it's definitely a shame but there's not much we can do. It's difficult for a military force to become a police force. Definitely not what the army is trained for.

Additionally, yes they are protecting the oil fields and oil wells and they very well should. It's those wells that hold the future of the Iraqi people. if they have any chance of helping rid t he country of the ENORMOUS debt that Saddam created, it's going to come from their oil. They lose that and that means they lose their chance to be rich and prosperous. They could end up like afghanistan: no real natural resources to speak of, little to trade, little to market. Just a country that exists, but has no place in the world economy.

[sobeton]

Originally posted by wideskies

what i am saying is that part of what can draw a country's people together after trauma is a sense of shared culture and history.

the fact that places like museums and universities are being destroyed should not be taken lightly and should be taken into consideration by the country that is supposed to be AIDING these people.

apparently, although some of you mightyou seem to find what i'm getting at a bit too subtle.

*slight shrug*

very valid points.. probably a bit too much for, some people to fully comprehend. when you invade a country and topple the government. you by virtue of your actions, thus become the government by default. police are a part of a governmental body. preservation of economic resources, are just as important as preservation of spirtual, education, and historical resources. failure to recognize the same, will ultimately lead to resentment. which I’m sure is the very last thing, needed in region of the world, which is so volatile. surely there is a clear difference between "doomsayers" and realist.

[sassa]

think about it though...you have halliberton (sic) cheney's former company vying for a contract to go into iraq and rebuild it...but what better way to do that than destroy a lot of infrastructure...this is what the "allies" are doing over there now...all those things do not have to be destroyed...but what better way to make more money, which is their primary motive in the first place, than fuck things up and then get paid to fix it...?

[siceone]

Originally posted by sassa

think about it though...you have halliberton (sic) cheney's former company vying for a contract to go into iraq and rebuild it...but what better way to do that than destroy a lot of infrastructure...this is what the "allies" are doing over there now...all those things do not have to be destroyed...but what better way to make more money, which is their primary motive in the first place, than fuck things up and then get paid to fix it...?

the contract was to put out oil fires

[eccentricmofo]

Id think the main reason why the military (coalition forces) in Iraq is if you remember even before we made the move to invade, many of the Arab countries as well as Iraqis mentioned and were opposed to occupation.

The looting and choas that was relatively tolerated, was because the coalition forces do not want to come off as if they just came in to take over the country.

Aside from those fears of political suicide, the country has been living under a regime of strict dictatorship for over 22 years...give or a take a year, Im not sure. Anyways they are pretty much partying in a sense after being freed, and liberated.

Imagine all those riots encited in our cities from boston to L.A. and elsewhere all becuase of 1 police boo boo (rodney king) or a victory or loss of a sports team of some sort.

It will recede in time..

[sassa]

Originally posted by siceone

the contract was to put out oil fires

aren't there talks for construction companies to get contracts for rebuilding iraq, though?

[sobeton]

Originally posted by siceone

the contract was to put out oil fires

they should be more concerned ,with putting out there own fires at home.

http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/article1087.html