LOOTING OF MUSEUM NOT AS EXTENSIVE
AS ORIGINALLY REPORTED



"BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Last week's looting of the Iraq National Museum, which saw numerous items disappear from a vast collection spanning eight millennia of Mesopotamian history, has provoked world-wide outcry -- and criticism of the U.S. military for its failure to protect Iraq's priceless cultural heritage.

"But, thanks to Iraqi preparations before the war, it seems the worst has been avoided. Donny George, the director-general of restoration at the Iraqi Antiquities Department, Wednesday said his staff had preserved the museum's most important treasures, including the kings' graves of Ur and the Assyrian bulls. These objects were hidden in vaults that haven't been violated by looters.

"'Most of the things were removed. We knew a war was coming, so it was our duty to protect everything,' Mr. George said. 'We thought there would be some sort of bombing at the museum. We never thought it could be looted.'"

Link to complete story at the Wall Street Journal