Looting and Disorder

They need to stop lying.

Really.

Enough is fucking enough.

To hear Donald Rumsfeld, one time buddy of the Hussein regime tell it, the same vase was stolen twenty times and the media irresponsibly broadcast the same tape over and over again, giving a false impression of reality.

I fart in his general direction. During the aftermath of the taking of Baghdad, I perused the media coverage from all of the major networks and CableSpews outlets, plus the BBC, CBC, and Arab TV, and I didn't see the same piece of looting footage twice. It was all different, and portrayed looting on a vast scale in multiple cities in Iraq, and all across Baghdad.

For a bit of irresponsible media manipulation, consider that statue-toppling incident in a city square facing the hotel where all of the media in Baghdad happen to be housed. Looked like thousands of Iraqi's spontaneously gathered to vent their hatred of Saddam and pull down a symbol of the murderous regime, right?

Think again.

During the early airing of the statue footage, one CableSpews outlet did not edit properly, and if you look past the people in direct view, you can see how empty the place is.....

But back to looting and lawlessness.

It is bad enough their was no plan to have MP's follow up more rapidly or be flown in earlier than today, or tomorrow, or whenever they are due to arrive, it is inconceivable that important government archives where the evidence of torture, murder and disappearances might be found were left to be ransacked and destroyed. Given the solemn droning from the Shrubites about War Crimes and their Prosecution, they seem rather blase about protecting or gathering evidence for trial.

Oh yeah, I forgot, they just drop 2,000lb. bombs where the bad guys might be, and hope for the best.

And don't give me that shit about how the city wasn't under control, blah blah blah.

Bullshit.

Where the looting was taking place was under control enough for camera crews to move about without fear, taking lengthy video of the trashing of buildings and shops, people's homes, and government offices. Marines are seen standing around in fairly relaxed poses, often with their weapons down. The crime that occurred at the National Museum should be pinned squarely to the lapels of the planners of this war, for appeals were made immediately to US forces and officials to stop the looting of irreplaceable historical artifacts, and they did nothing. Day after day, they did nothing, even though that part of the city has been firmly in US control. As of late last night, not a single Marine or Army soldier had been detailed to guard the few trashed remnants of ancient history left in the wrecked museum, a history that had survived both Saddam Huseein and two US bombing campaigns.

There's a war crime for you.