Trampling history in Iraq ~ It's the American way!

This morning on NPR I heard an interview of an archaeologist in Iraq who has found that that it's not only the displaced Iraqis that have committed offenses against historic antiquities. He discovered that American bases sit directly atop ancient sites like that of the city of Babylon. He says that irreversible damage to the sites have been done by way of bulldozing land for helicopter pads and filling sandbags with earth dug from these sites. He's concerned that this one example of trampling is only the beginning of what he'll find elsewhere among the 10,000 archaeologically significant sites throughout Iraq.

I'd just like to first applaud our troops in Iraq and let them know that I support them and their speedy return home. Now, on to the Bush Administration -- you idiots! Not only do you create a war against Iraq based on false premesis and trample on the lessons of history and war's past but you don't plan enough to know where our military should and should not build bases. Directly on top of a well-known ancient site?! Honestly! Now, I know that those weapons of mass distruction are out there (yeah, right) somewhere but these archaeological sites are well known and documented to exist. Is this just another way of flipping the Iraqis, their culture and their history the bird to let them know who the global bully in their sandbox is? This makes me sick.

I heard this report on my way in to work and felt enough outrage to write about it. Boy, if something like this gets my blood boiling I can't wait until I see Fahrenheit 9/11 tomorrow.

Comments (3) | To Top

6/28/2004 @ 4:41pm

When Nick's brother, Kyle, first got to Iraq they had to travel around a bit before he finally got settled in the truck stop he is currently in. One of the places they stopped was right near Babylon. I have a bunch of emails from him talking about it and what he saw (they all got to tour it). I am assuming that he was staying at the very base you are discussing. I seem to remember him saying he could or practically could, walk there. He even sent back some pictures which were pretty neat.

by Kristin

6/29/2004 @ 12:54pm

Hey Kristin! How's Kyle doing over there? I really hope the story I heard on NPR was exaggerated since it was an anthropologist talking. It's easy for someone with a vested interest in a subject to blow things out of proportion since they hold it so near and dear to their heart (see me scaring people about the volcanic dangers of Mt. Rainier). I really hope that's the case since it sounds like such an important historical site. I guess you've got to put a base somewhere but hopefully they didn't really put it there but only a portion of it. If you email Kyle would you mind asking him if he thought the site was damaged? I'd be really interested to hear what he thought.

So, have you and Nick seen Fahrenheit 9/11? If you haven't I recommend it not because of how it bashes Bush (that's obvious) but because of the way it protrays people involved and effected by the war. I won't tell you it's emotionally an easy movie to see but I think it's worth it.

Hope all is well!

by KevinFreitas

6/30/2004 @ 11:35am

Kyle is doing well. He tells us scary stories of being bombed at night and how 3 soldiers died in a tent near his, but then he makes us laugh by telling us when they heard the mortars... "then I heard the one that hit KBR an I was like hmm that was..ZZZZZZzzzzzzzssshherrrr BOOM, not a LUME GET IN THE BUNKER, I ran out in my underwear and bare feet, we rattled off everyones names and got accountability, then we ran up to the clinic....YES I GOT some pants on, though I wasnt wearing any socks with my boots." I read through his email about Babylong and he said they were a stones throw from the tower of Babil and that a lot of Babylon had been rebuilt. If I remember, next time I am at Nick's parents house I will get some of his pictures and send them to you.

by Kristin