LOOTED ARTIFACTS RETURNED TO IRAQI MUSEUM

HUNDREDS OF IRAQI ARTIFACTS LOOTED FROM MUSEUMS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING A 4,400 YEAR OLD STATUE OF AN ANCIENT KING STOLEN DURING THE US LED INVASION, HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO IRAQ AND WERE DISPLAYED TUESDAY. IRAQ IS HOME TO RELICS OF THE WORLD'S MOST ANCIENT URBAN CIVILIZATIONS. BUT ITS PRICELESS HERITAGE HAS BEEN PLUNDERED DURING THE COUNTRY'S WARS AND UPHEAVALS, AND ITS PRECIOUS ANTIQUITIES SOLD TO COLLECTORS WORLDWIDE. THE US MILITARY WAS HEAVILY CRITICIZED FOR NOT PROTECTING THE IRAQI NATIONAL MUSEUM'S TROVE OF RELICS AND ART FOLLOWING BAGHDAD'S FALL IN 2003. THIEVES RANSACKED THE COLLECTION, STEALING OR DESTROYING PRICELESS ARTIFACTS THAT CHRONICLED SOME 7,000 YEARS OF CIVILIZATION IN MESOPOTAMIA, INCLUDING THE ANCIENT BABYLONIANS, SUMERIANS, AND ASSYRIANS. IRAQI AND WORLD CULTURE OFFICIALS HAVE FOR YEARS STRUGGLED TO RETRIEVE THE TREASURES BUT MET LITTLE SUCCESS. ABOUT 15,000 PIECES ARE STILL MISSING FROM THE MUSEUM THAT REOPENED LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM. MORE THAN 5,000 PIECES HAVE BEEN RETURNED SINCE 2003, HE SAID. TUESDAY'S DISPLAY AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY OF MORE THAN 542 PIECES RETURNED WAS AIMED AT SHOWCASING IRAQI AND INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO REPATRIATE THE COUNTRY'S LOOTED CULTURAL HERITAGE. THE DISPLAY WAS HAILED AS A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT BY IRAQI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO VOWED TO CONTINUE THE BATTLE TO RECLAIM IRAQI ARTIFACTS.