Charles Krauthammer on the Iraqi National Museum Hoax

Hoaxes, Hype and Humiliation

By Charles KrauthammerFriday, June 13, 2003; Page A29

"It took only 48 hours for the museum to be destroyed, with at least 170,000
artifacts carried away by looters." -- New York Times, April 13

"You'd have to go back centuries, to the Mongol invasion of Baghdad in 1258, to
find looting on this scale." -- British archaeologist Eleanor Robson,
New York Times, April 16

Well, not really. Turns out the Iraqi National Museum lost not 170,000 treasures but 33. You'd have to go back centuries, say, to the Mongol invasion of Baghdad in 1258, to find mendacity on this scale.

What happened? The source of the lie, Donny George, director general of research and study of the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities, now says (Washington Post, June 9) that he originally told the media that "there were 170,000 pieces in the entire museum collection. Not 170,000 pieces stolen. No, no, no. That would be every single object we have!"

More @The Wash Post