Looting of the Iraqi museums began in the 1990s

More questions about how much was stolen long before Baghdad fell:

The mystery of who looted Iraq's archeological treasures is rich with suspects and clues, such as the belly dancer who many believe became Saddam Hussein's mistress or the skeleton of a man who was thrown down a well almost 3,000 years ago.

Taken together, Iraqi archeologists say, the evidence convinces them that the very people entrusted with protecting some of history's most significant relics are responsible for some of the worst plundering of ancient artifacts. . .

"The gang started in the early 1990s, with the support of Saddam Hussein himself," said Junayd Fakhri, an archeologist who claims the 1990 discovery of a royal Assyrian treasure buried in a palace well, perhaps in the 8th century BC. . .

. . . Fakhri and several other Iraqi experts say Hussein's culture and information minister during the 1980s and early '90s, Latif Nusayyif Jasim, ordered about 160 pounds of Nimrud's golden treasures, including a queen's crown and jewelry, shipped to Baghdad. The treasure was stored in a vault at the national bank, which was looted along with the national museum in the early hours after Hussein's fall. "They can say the museum was looted and nobody knows the truth," Fakhri said. "The truth is they sold all the pieces."

And the allegations of official theft go on and on. From the LA Times (also reprinted here).

Posted by David on April 27, 2003 2:49 PM