Today, among other things, 7000 years of cultural history in Iraq got looted.

As the looting and the killing and the burning continues, crowds in Baghdad ransacked a mental hospital for 36 hours. Two patients unable to swallow water without assistance died of thirst. Four women patients were raped.

Volunteers are dumping rotting, unclaimed corpses into mass graves. (via Electrolyte which has a good thread on it)

By all available indications, the water supply and the medical situation in Iraq is beyond desperate.

The pols running the war, laughed General Shinseki out of court when he suggested in his senate deposition that hundreds of thousands of troops will be needed to keep peace in Iraq. Gen. Shinseki of course ran the war in Bosnia. He looks more and more prescient every day. Now the common men are paying in blood for the arrogance of politicians.

Under the Hague treaty protecting the museum was a coalition responsibility. This is specially inexplicable since the marines are protecting the oil ministry in the same city. How many does it take to protect a museum? I hate to sound sarcastic. But this is probably a good time for the art dealers to take up the lobbying to change Iraq's export laws again.

I guess there is also something sick about feeling so distressed about the looting of a museum when so many people are dieing and getting maimed every day.

Update: Mefi has a thread going on about the looting in Baghdad.