World's Art Patrimony Destroyed

On April 11 and 12, 2003 the National Museum in Bagdad was looted of 15,000 items. On April 14, 2003 the National Library and Archive as well as the Library of Korans at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and endowments was burned. A million books and 10 million documents were destroyed. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was blase': "Freedom's untidy---Free people are ffree to make mistakes and commit crimes." Rummy is wrong. The Hague Convention for the protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict signed on May 14, 1954 makes it a crime for an invading occupying power to allow art to be destroyed. A dozen art curators & historians, archaeologists and museum officials are quoted in this video. All agree it was the greatest cultural disaster in well over 500 years. US military officers allowed it to happen although they were repeatedly warned by experts. US troops participated in the looting and di nothing to stop the fires. The American humanity and soul died in Bagdad. We are all to blame.

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[thomasg74]

Mr.Hogan,i suggest a more sinister reason for the wanton destruction and dessecration of Iraqi national artefacts and treasures,in the minds of many this was a crusade,i am not anti semitic,but you will be aware it was the Babylonians who devastated the Isrealites,enslaving them and destroying their temple,Revenge was also a hidden motive,i stumbled upon a series of pictures and clips of U.S soldiers carving stars of david into the walls of Babylon,along with payback and revenge slogans,???

[radiohogan]

I agree. In a book called "The Hidden History of Zionism" the authors describe how Israeli troops desecrated Muslim homes and religious objects in Palestine in the 1950's. It was much the same as how our troops acted in Bagdad.

[thomasg74]

@MR.Hogan,i was very impressed with your video,i agree,the ww2 generation of americans were quite simply a cut above,my respect for them is huge,there has been a moral decline in the west as a whole that has enabled the unforgiveable crime mentioned in your video,i have read 2 books by the greatest sumeriologist Samuel noah kramer,a jewish man,he is long since past,may he rest in peace,i wonder what he would make of this crime,his books "The Sumerians" and "History begins at Sumer",i reccomend.

[ruggeroq]

Good work. Honest people in the world must denounce, by all means, this kind of crime.