Investigation Into Babylon Damage Ordered

[Barrett808]

Investigation Into Babylon Damage Ordered
By JIM KRANE, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The expansion of a military base may have damaged the remains of the ancient city of Babylon, and the U.S.-led coalition's leaders said Friday they have halted construction and ordered an investigation.

U.S. occupation chief L. Paul Bremer and top military commander Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez dispatched a team of archaeologists May 27 to examine construction at the Polish military's Camp Alpha, which was set up last year to secure the ruins from looters, a coalition statement said.

The remains of Babylon, one of the world's most important archaeological sites, were occupied since the early days of the invasion by U.S. Marines and, since September, soldiers from Poland and other countries. Babylon is 50 miles south of Baghdad.

The two occupation leaders ordered all contractors working in or around the Babylon site to halt construction and excavation related to the expansion of the base — and any other work that could damage the ancient sites, a coalition spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity.

Sanchez and Bremer also ordered that planning begin for the relocation of troops in the immediate area. The orders were issued June 1 and 2, the spokeswoman said.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040611/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_babylon_damage&cid=540&ncid=1480

[struggle4progress]

1. Hey, if we trash it first, the looters won't have a chance!

[candy331]

2. Babylon has a strong significance in Bible prophecy

if you read and believe the bible. In one passage of scripture it talks about one rebuilding Babylon that it is never to be rebuilt and inhabited.

[I thought so.]

4. What Buybull?

n/t

[SpiralHawk]

5. Never to be rebuilt...unless

you are a skull and boner...

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of boners....The Shadow knows....

[struggle4progress]

7. All my interpretations of prophecy start with the book of Jonah ...

the point of which seems to be that prophecy may serve its purpose without coming true.

[On the Road]

10. Oh!

In all my reading of the Bible and church history, I have never heard that point made. Remarkable.

Plus -- if you have an evil bunch of Iraqis, like the city of Ninevah, the book of Jonah suggests a more humane way of dealing with them.

[bloom]

3. .....one of the Seven Wonders of the World

"For more than 1,000 years, Babylon was one of the world's premier cities, where Nebuchadnezzar II built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and to which the Hebrews were deported after the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem about 586 B.C.

The city declined and fell into ruin after it was conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great around 538 B.C."

[UpInArms]

6. sounds like the US military is attempting to make

Poland a scapegoat for any damage:

There was "superficial" work done two months ago to expand a helicopter landing zone to accommodate U.S. troops housed at the site, Polish army spokesman Lt. Col. Robert Strzelecki said.

"The superficial work was done under archaeological supervision and there was no deep digging involved," Strzelecki said.

He said soldiers are warned about "grave consequences for picking up the tiniest stone." Strzelecki said the division has documented the state in which the base and archaeological site were inherited on Sept. 3.

<snip>

During the U.S.-led invasion, looters raided Babylon's two museums, stealing display copies of ancient relics and a few original pieces. Most of the original relics were housed at the Iraq (news - web sites) Museum in Baghdad, which was also heavily looted. Some 13,000 objects from the Iraq Museum are still missing, according to the museum's Web site.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. I read an account by a Japanese journalist who was "embedded"

with some U.S. troops, and he was telling them how exciting it was to see the ruins of Babylon, and they didn't know what he was talking about.

I wouldn't be surprised if some ignorant military types saw the ruins and said, "Let's get all this old junk out of the way so we can build a a parking lot."

[maxsolomon]

9. yoo ain't supporin no troops with that kinda tawk

although, i have to say, i supported them & they let me down!