protecting ancient sites in Iraq

May 25, 2004 10:41 AM

Protecting the CradleKirkuk Air Base -- US Army Colonel works with Iraqi archaeological officials to protect nearby ancient sites.

Meanwhile at more secluded mounds, looters continue to plunder the sites and to erase the tangible record of the world's earliest civilizations. "When you come here at night, it looks like a city, there are so many lights," [Archaeological official Abdul-Amir] Hamdani said, looking out over the arid scrubland where thieves swarm after dark.
posted by mcgraw (6 comments total)

If that NYT link doesn't work, try here.
posted by mcgraw at 10:43 AM on May 25, 2004

Kind readers have pointed to omissions/errors in this fpp. May I point out that the article concerns Air Force not Army personnel, and includes the experiences of a Major.
posted by mcgraw at 11:56 AM on May 25, 2004

This is a press release - not an "article" - from the Air Force about a colonel who is doing, apparently on his own initiative, what should be a primary mission of this occupation. Of course, preventing the looting of the Iraqi National Museum when we took Baghdad was not a priority.
posted by nicwolff at 12:07 PM on May 25, 2004

How very kind of you to point that out, nicwolff. Perhaps we'll meet at the Mefi Meet-up this Saturday in NYC. Will you be there?
posted by mcgraw at 12:19 PM on May 25, 2004

Very likely! But let's stay on-topic here; my e-mail's in my profile.
posted by nicwolff at 12:30 PM on May 25, 2004

i think i've mentioned this twice on ask-mefi, but it really is a good book that i'm rereading at the moment. nehru's "glimpses of world history" describes the history of this part of the world in the first letters (it's a collection of letters by the guy who was to become leader of india after independence, written to his daughter from jail because the british kept locking him up, and his life and the indian independence movement form a backdrop to the history (which is rather old and so possibly incorrect and out of date in places, but still really entertaining + interesting)). there's more emphasis on asian/middle eastern history than many "all of the world, all of the history" books because he was both indian and trying to present an unbiased (non-western) viewpoint.
posted by andrew cooke at 12:45 PM on May 25, 2004