Like the proverbial bull in the china shop, the U.S. has destroyed priceless artifacts in Iraq. They drove trucks through the ancient ruins of Babylon, crushing ancient artifacts, according to
British Museum officials. American and Polish troops initially came to the archaelogical site to protect it from looters but then they used it to dump tons of gravel for making roads and helipads and later filled sandbags with dirt containing shards of pottery - easily causing as much damage as thieves would have. Heavy military vehicles also crushed a brick road dating from the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, who built the famous hanging gardens around 550 B.C.
John Curtis, keeper of the British Museum's Near East department, who was invited by the Iraqis to study the site, said in the report,
"This is tantamount to establishing a military camp around the Great Pyramid in Egypt or around Stonehenge in Britain."
