Jew World Order

Iraq says it wants back all the artifacts stolen by American forces in 2003, but Washington has offered to return only half.

The Iraqi Jewish archive was previously transferred from Baghdad to Washington during the US-led invasion of the country. The archive includes centuries-old Torah scrolls and plenty of other documents in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

Last month Iraqi media reported the US had transferred the Iraqi antiquities to Israel. The information angered archeologists and officials who accuse Washington of looting Iraq’s cultural heritage, and dissuaded Iraqi authorities from continuing cultural cooperation with the US.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Brent Budowsky, a columnist at The Hill newspaper, to hear his opinion on this issue. The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: First of all why has Washington only offered to return half of the artifacts stolen back in 2003?

Budowsky: Well this issue has been around for some time and I think the problem is, it needs to be and will be now escalated to a higher level in Washington and probably in Baghdad as well. I think it has not been dealt with at a high enough level to get the kind of resolution on a sensitive issue.

Now I do give the United States some credit for restoring the archives for getting them better. I think they have done a good job and in many instances that work with the Iraqi government it started getting tense a few years ago as to what exactly should be done.

There is a lack of clarity. I think the Iraqis are right about that. I predict the issue will be solved and I do think it is now very quickly are going to get to the highest level in the United States government because of the importance that it has to the government of Iraq that we want to work with.

It is important to restore tourism and trade and particularly religious tourism to Iraq it is probably the second most important industry for them beyond oil. So they need to have this worked out in a way that is good for them.

I think it is in our interest to do it. It is a difficult and sensitive issue. I predict it will be resolved favorably for what has to happen will now happen. After the latest Iraqi action it has to be brought to a very high level in the United States to make the kind of decision that is important to resolving the problem and restoring all relations with the Iraqis and the cooperation on cultural and archeological relations which has been slowed down right now and that is not good for either country.

Press TV: Mr. Budowsky, Iraqi archeologists and officials, they accuse Washington of looting Iraq’s cultural heritage. Up until now Washington has offered only to return half of those artifacts. Now you say this is going to be taken up in a higher level in Washington. If that does not resolve the situation how much leeway does the Iraqi government have to pursue this on an international level?

Budowsky: Well I think it will be resolved. I mean the Iraqi government can pursue it if they choose on an international level. I think one of the problems with issues like this and I have been in the government at a pretty high level is people need to make decisions and it is something they can really be decided only at a higher level in Washington and in Baghdad then it has been addressed so far.

So I think it is important that the deciders at a very high level look at the problem, understand the Iraqis sensitivity and make a decision to reach a solution that will be acceptable to the people of Iraq and to the government of Iraq.

So it has to be escalated to a higher level. That is happening right now as we speak. We do not want a situation where the cultural and archeological cooperation has been halted. That is not good for either country. We want a resolution and we want to help the government of Iraq and the people of Iraq, especially promoting the religious tourism.

So I think the key point is it needed to be escalated which the action of the Iraqi government has now done and it will be escalated. So people can make clear decisions in a situation that as Iraq has said is not clear even now.

Press TV: And one last question Mr. Budowsky before we leave you, can you clarify for us and our viewers as to what significance these artifacts might have had for Washington? Could Americans transferring those Iraqi antiquities to Israel have anything to do with it?

Budowsky: Well there is a sensitivity politically and culturally to the US-Israel relation, that is obviously true. There is also a sensitivity to the US-Iraqi relation, that is also true. These documents, these archives are enormously important historically, culturally and religiously.

These are profoundly important and valuable documents. I do give the US credit for restoring them and saving them from the neglect that happened under Saddam Hussein which is outrageous.

I do wish that we, the US had resolved this earlier, quicker and in a higher level because it should have not gotten to the point that it has gotten to now, but these are profoundly important historical, religious and cultural documents and tourism on religious matters is profoundly important to the government and people of Iraq.

I hope and pray it would now be solved. I can guarantee it will now be escalated to a much higher level in Washington. I believe that is very constructive.

AHK/HGH