Saddam's Palaces Looted, page 1

After American transfer of Saddam's old palaces over to Iraqi's, reports of looting have come in. Many of the palaces have been stripped of everything but the walls. The likely culprits are the Iraqi security officials and soldiers sent to guard these places.

www.msnbc.msn.com
"But in the days after American forces and the Iraqi brass band pulled out of the circular palace drive on a bluff overlooking the Tigris River, local officials now say, looters moved in, ripping out doors, air conditioners, ceiling fans and light-switch plates from some of the compound's 136 palaces, leaving little more than plaster and dangling electric wires."

"Shekti, like police officials, blamed Iraqi soldiers at the palaces and his own deputy. "The palace was turned over to the Iraqi army units in the presence of Deputy Governor Abdullah Naji Jabara," he said. "Two weeks later I heard the place was looted. Now who can I accuse of the looting?"

"The full extent of the alleged looting could not be determined. A provincial police commander, Lt. Col. Mahmud Hiazza, said soldiers and officials stripped at least some palaces that had been occupied by U.S. officials. "Also, there were some palaces not occupied by Americans," he said. "Even in those palaces, everything was gone."

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

In a way I'm not surprised by this. You've got for the most part, poor citizens guarding lavishly fursnished and equipped palaces. You're bound to expect some looting to happen. I'm just surprised at the extent of it. Taking every last thing is just beyond me. At least it's finally something we can't be accused of. What this is going to cause between Saddam loyalists and the Iraqi army is going to be interesting to see

[edit on 15-1-2006 by asala]