With U.S. armed forces reaching Baghdad in 21 days and Saddam Hussein’s regime deemed no longer in control by the Bush Administration, the major fighting in Iraq is believed to be over.
The focus has now turned to stabilizing the nation as looters have ransacked public buildings in Baghdad and a new government is in the early stages. Yesterday, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld addressed issues festering with Syria, Iraq’s northwestern neighbor.
Yesterday morning, several news agencies reported that the looting by newly liberated Iraqis had spread beyond the statehouses, hospitals and government buildings and had reached Iraq’s national museums and libraries.
Items that once belonged to the Babylonian, Sumerian and Assyrian dynasties are now missing. The items are believed to reflect more than 7,000 years of history in the Fertile Crescent. Of the missing items, the most notable are a 4,000-year-old bust of an Akkadian king, statues and ancient manuscripts. The Iraqi national library also caught fire, and one of the oldest copies of the Quran is believed to have been destroyed.
Also yesterday, several of Iraq’s factional leaders met in the ancient city of Ur to discuss the future of the nation. However, some Shiite Muslim groups boycotted the gathering, protesting the new establishment in their hometowns.
The meeting, held at the ancient birthplace of the prophet Abraham, concluded with an agreement to meet in 10 days.
Tensions have also increased between the United States and Syria, as U.S. forces closed an oil pipeline running between Iraq and Syria.
The actions are followed by accusations from the Bush Administration that Syria is housing leaders of Saddam’s regime and also possesses chemical weapons.
Despite the actions, Powell noted yesterday that the United States has no intention of military action against Syria.
U.S. intelligence shows that Syria has been receiving up to 200,000 barrels of oil a day, which is one third of their oil supply.
The actions sparked a meeting of foreign ministers from six Arab, Persian Gulf nations, who rejected the U.S. accusations.
