["UNITED NATIONS officials have rebuked British commanders for
urging local residents to loot buildings belonging to the Iraqi Army
and the ruling Baath Party. . . .
"Armoured units from the Desert Rats stood by and watched earlier
this week as scores of excited Iraqis picked clean every floor and
every room of the Baath Party headquarters building in Basra after
it had been raided by British troops. . . .
"But UN officials said last night that such behaviour was against
the Geneva Convention and bred a dangerous mood of anarchy."--Daniel
McGrory, "UN
and Army at odds as troops encourage looting," Times, April 5, 2003]
["The Americans have, though, put hundreds of troops inside two
Iraqi ministries that remain untouched . . . . the Ministry of
Interior, of course - with its vast wealth of intelligence
information on Iraq - and the Ministry of Oil."--Robert Fisk, "Americans defend two untouchable ministries from the
hordes of looters," Independent, April 14, 2003]
["General Tommy Franks is threatened with a Belgian war crimes trial
alleging US troops failed to prevent looting in Iraq. BBC News
Online uncovers evidence suggesting his soldiers even egged on some
looters."--Jonathan Duffy, "US troops 'encouraged' Iraqi looters," BBC News
Online, May 6, 2003]
Simon Robinson, "Coalition troops
looted and vandalized the Iraqi airport that now must be
rebuilt, Time Magazine, July 6, 2003