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National Museum of Iraq destroyed

Another nonprofit related story from Iraq: It took only 48 hours for the National Museum of Iraq to be destroyed. Under the Hague Convention, the occupying forces have the responsibility to prevent such things. (Indeed, the London Times reports that in the south of Iraq, British commanders have been encouraging looting.) One Hundred and seventy thousand pieces have been carried off, which once represented the 7000 year history of the civilizations of Mesopotamia. My heart aches to read this. Posted: 4/12/03; 4:19:36 PM #

Baghdad hospitals being looted

I don't know if hospitals in Iraq are NGOs or not, but they certainly are a key part of the public interest and civil infrastructure. In the wake of the U.S. "victory", those hospitals are being thoroughly looted, according to the Red Cross. Thomas Friedman reports as well on the looting of schools, right down to the blackboards. A sad reflection of the priorities of the occupying armies, I suspect the oil fields are better protected by troops than the civil institutions are. Posted: 4/12/03; 4:19:25 PM #