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U.S. moves to protect, recover Iraqi artifacts
From Elise Labott
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States promised Monday to work toward protecting Iraq's museum collections, finding looted museum artifacts and restoring museum pieces damaged in the U.S.-led war in Iraq. In a written statement, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the recent looting of Iraq's national museums, cultural institutions and archeological sites has caused "irretrievable loss to the understanding of history and the efforts of Iraqi and international scholars to study and gain new insight into our past." As fighting in Baghdad eased days after U.S. forces took control of the capital, Iraqi police and U.S. Marines began joint patrols Monday in an effort to restore order following days of looting. The United States values the archeological and cultural heritage of Iraq "that documents over 10,000 years of the development of civilization," Powell said. Objects and documents taken from museums are the property of the Iraqi nation under Iraqi and international law, he said. "They are therefore stolen property, whether found in Iraq or other nations." Powell's comments followed criticism of the Bush administration for not doing more to stop looters from ransacking the National Museum of Iraq, home to one of the world's most extensive collections of artifacts dating back to the Mesopotamian era. On Saturday, as U.S. forces were taking control of Baghdad, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) called on the United States to take immediate measures to protect Iraqi archaeological sites. "Collections and a heritage considered to be one of the richest in the world" need to be protected, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said in a statement. Russia's Foreign Ministry said Sunday that U.S.-led forces bear full responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Iraq, including protecting cultural monuments. (Full story) U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denied allegations that the United States deserved blame for the looting. "We didn't allow it," Rumsfeld said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "It happened. And that's what happens when you go from a dictatorship with a repressed order police state to something that is going to be different. There's a transition period and no one is in control." Rumsfeld said he believes that when order is restored people will probably return some of the stolen articles. Iraq -- a cradle of ancient civilization -- is the home of such fabled cities such as Ur and Babylon. Many scholars believe that cuneiform writing, glass, accounting -- and even bureaucracy -- were invented there. Powell said Monday the program would also work to protect Iraqi museum pieces that had not been stolen. "The United States will be working with a number of individuals and organizations to not only secure the facility, but to secure that which has been taken, and also to participate in restoring that which has been broken," Powell said. Powell also warned the Iraqi people and U.S.-led military coalition troops not to touch artifacts and that anyone found dealing or possessing them could be prosecuted under Iraqi or U.S. law. He added that coalition forces have been given instructions to protect museums and cultural antiquities, and that U.S. radio broadcasts throughout Iraq are encouraging Iraqis to return stolen items and providing instructions on how to do so. Powell said the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs will help Iraqis and international experts restore damaged artifacts. The United States is working with the international police agency INTERPOL to find looted artifacts and return them and also is talking with the United Nations about how it can help, Powell said.
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