Syria has returned 700 artifacts looted from Iraq in the aftermath of the US invasion and smuggled across the border.
Objects include gold jewelry, coins, daggers and clay jars. Some date from the Bronze Age and the early Islamic era.
“These objects stolen in Iraq were seized by Syrian customs officials,” Naassan-Agha said, according to the official SANA news agency, adding that other “very precious” artefacts will be returned soon.
He also urged “all the countries of the world and UNESCO to strive to return to Iraq all the antiquities which were stolen under the eyes of American occupation soldiers.”
Nice little dig there.
“Nice little dig there.”
Ha! Was that pun intended?
Or am I the only one laughing?
(I *am* the only one laughing, aren’t I? I’m even laughing about “pun intended” which shows I have spent way too many hours reading about the Roman social orders. Damn.)
I wasn’t laughing before, but I totally am now on account of yer funneh. 😆
I love all of the ancient artifacts. This is a really informative blog. I’m glad I found it. 😎
its probably cause we had other pressing issues to attend to like war not policing the iraqi,s thats why they have police….. i wish you would take down that comment about the american soldier please and think you
They didn’t have police, actually, because Donald Rumsfeld ordered all Iraqi police and armed forces disbanded as soon as Baghdad fell. It’s widely considered to be one of the worst decisions of the occupation, and a direct cause of the orgy of looting.
I will certainly not take down the comment about the American soldier. It’s a quote and an apt one.
Face the facts: the Iraqi occupation was brutally mishandled for years and resulted in nation-wide devastation, including of Iraq’s profound cultural patrimony.