ĦĦĦĦWASHINGTON, April 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Three members of a US presidential panel
on cultural property stepped down this week in protest over the failure of US
forces to prevent the massive looting of Baghdad's antiquities museum.
ĦĦĦĦMartin Sullivan said he was resigning as chairman of the President's
Advisory Committee on Cultural Property, a position hehad held since 1995.
ĦĦĦĦIn the letter, which was released Thursday, Sullivan said the "tragedy" was
not prevented "due to our nation's inaction."
ĦĦĦĦ"The reports in recent days about the looting of Iraq's National Museum of
Antiquities and the destruction of countless artifacts that document the cradle
of Western civilization have troubled me deeply, a feeling that is shared by
many other Americans," Sullivan said in the letter dated Monday.
ĦĦĦĦTwo other panel members, Richard S. Lanier and Gary Vikan, alsoresigned because
of the looting of the museum. They criticized the Bush administration of
lacking sensitivity and forethought regarding the loss of cultural treasures.
ĦĦĦĦThe 11-member advisory committee is appointed by the president.
ĦĦĦĦThe White House repeated Thursday that the looting was unfortunate, saying
the US military had worked hard to protect infrastructure in Iraq and to
preserve the valued resource of Iraq.
ĦĦĦĦFBI Director Robert Mueller announced that the bureau was sending agents to
Iraq to assist with criminal investigations, saying the FBI was "firmly
committed to doing whatever we can in order to secure the return" of the stolen
artifacts.
ĦĦĦĦThe Iraqi National Museum, which housed a priceless collection dating back
7,000 years to the Sumerian civilization, was looted over two days following the
fall of Baghdad last week.
ĦĦĦĦIn the absence of any security presence, the looters exacted what experts
believe was a heavy toll on the museum and its collection, stored in 28
galleries and vaults, including the loss of perhaps 50,000 irreplaceable
artifacts and the burning of museum records.
ĦĦĦĦUS Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday rejected charges the US
military was to blame for failing to prevent the looting, saying it is difficult
to stop when looting happens in a war zone.
ĦĦĦĦBut antiquities experts said US military planners had assured them that
Iraq's historic artifacts and sites would be protected by occupying forces. US
archeological organizations and the UN's cultural agency UNESCO said they had
provided US officials with information about Iraq's cultural heritage and
archeological sitesmonths before the war began. Enditem
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