World antiquities experts have calledfor US and British forces in Iraq to guardcultural sites, saying organised criminal gangs were behind someof the looting of priceless artefacts.
Leading archaeologists gathered at the Paris headquarters ofthe United Nations cultural body, UNESCO, also demanded a ban onthe export of all antiques, works of art, books and archivesfrom Iraq and a freeze in international trade of these objects.
They said initial reports suggested art smugglers tookadvantage of the widespread looting that followed the collapseof Saddam Hussein's government as a cover for the well organisedtheft of priceless objects from the Iraqi National Museum.
"It looks as if at least part of the theft was a verydeliberate planned action," University of Chicago professorMcGuire Gibson told a news conference. "They were able to obtainkeys from somewhere for the vaults and were able to take out thevery important, the very best material."
He said desperate locals, impoverished by years of harshU.N. sanctions, were only too willing to collaborate in theraiding of sites and museums in the cradle of civilisation andurged US and British forces to protect museums, archives,galleries and other cultural sites.
Antiquities experts had warned the United States of the riskof looting, but they were reluctant to pin blame on the USmilitary for failing to take preventive measures.
"We are not here to put anyone on trial," said UNESCO deputydirector general Mounir Bouchenaki. "I think the USauthorities, in light of what they have been telling us, wereequally worried to see this uncontrolled behaviour."
Curators from museums worldwide will meet in London in 10days to form a pool of experts on ancient Mesopotamia ready tohelp their Iraqi counterparts restore what is left in thecountry, said Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum.
Among their most urgent tasks is setting up an onlinecatalogue of missing objects in order to make it harder forstolen artefacts to be sold on the global art market.
UNESCO plans to send a team of experts in archaeology,architecture and archives to Iraq to help estimate the damage.