US-Led 'Liberation' Recovers 40,000 Artifacts—Most Stolen After 2003
Iraq has reportedly recovered over 40,000 stolen artifacts, a commendable feat by Baghdad to reclaim its heritage. The New Arab article, like much of mainstream coverage, notes these artifacts were 'taken since 2003,' neatly sidestepping the historical context: 2003 was the year the U.S. and its allies invaded and subsequently destabilized Iraq . The looting of the Iraqi National Museum, the
torching of libraries, and the widespread illicit trafficking of antiquities—estimated by some at millions of items —occurred precisely in the power vacuum created by that invasion, a 'collateral benefit' of what was packaged as 'freedom.' One might wonder if the U.S. government, which spent trillions 'liberating' Iraq, will be issuing an invoice for the recovery efforts. Or perhaps a sincere
apology for contributing to the environment where such widespread looting became possible in the first place? It's almost as if some 'liberations' come with hidden costs, like losing millennia of history to profiteers under the watch of invading forces. A convenient memory hole for inconvenient truths, wouldn't you say?