Iraq's National Museum director goes to work in empty building

[kayell]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031019/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_us_museum_031019193527

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq (news - web sites)'s National Museum Director Donny George was upbeat on his first day on the job, even though there's a gaping hole in his office door, some 10,000 artefacts are still missing and the collections are closed.


"The renovation of the museum is due to be completed in six months, but there is still no date for its reopening. For now, the museum is empty and the artefacts are kept in secret, safe places," he said.


The large hole in George's office door bears witness to the days of looting that followed the April 9 ouster of president Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) by a large-scale US-led military offensive.


But the archaeologist was smiling when he went to work on Saturday in the plundered museum that lost in the looting a total of 14,000 invaluable pieces, many dating back thousands of years.


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Don't I remember some stories from our "librul media" that said that almost all the artifacts were not really missing, but stored by employees??? Did they LIE to us? *gasp*