Plundered Iraqi Museum Reopens in Baghdad 12 Years After US-Led Invasion

They say time heals all wounds, but the scars are sure to remain.

Twelve years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the national museum in Baghdad has re-opened its doors in response to videos of IS terrorists destroying priceless historic statues in the city of Mosul.

BBC News reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has vowed to “punish” those who are responsible for the destruction of the irreplaceable symbols of world history.

The Prime Minister was quoted during the Baghdad museum’s opening as saying, “Those barbaric, criminal terrorists are trying to destroy the heritage of mankind and Iraq’s civilization. We will chase them in order to make them pay for every drop of blood shed in Iraq and for the destruction of Iraq’s civilization.”

His passionate words come from a deep feeling of anger and disgust in the destruction at Mosul, yet there is a sense of renewed hope at the opening of the national museum in Baghdad.

Over 15,000 artifacts were looted from the Baghdad museum during the ousting of Saddam Hussein from power. Yet only one-third of these items have actually been recovered. Some pieces on display at the Baghdad museum date back to 8th century B.C. Others, even further.

Thankfully, several important pieces from the Baghdad collection were far too large to be looted. Other were recovered from various sources at only a fraction of their preserved condition.

The importance of these artifacts to Iraq, and to the world, cannot be underscored. For much of human history, Iraq was known as Mesopotamia, or the cradle of civilization, and the birthplace of many early human achievements. Mankind’s history has been revealed through these amazing artifacts. The loss is irreplaceable.

Officials representing Unesco, a world heritage body, have appealed to the UN Security Council for an emergency meeting to discuss how best to protect the reaming collections Mosul, Baghdad, and other museums.

The Iraqi Deputy Tourism and Antiquities Minister, Qais Hussein Rashid, stated the events at Mosul spurred them into action to open the museum, a reaction to what the gangs of Daesh (n Arabic acronym for IS) did in Mosul.

Al Arabia News reports that not only statues were smashed in Mosul, but a priceless Assyrian Winged Bull statue in the archaeological park was defaced with a jackhammer. The destruction has sparked outrage across the globe, reaffirming what was reported by the Inquisitr , in that the loss at Mosul was a loss to the entire world.