For weeks there was no electricity in the museum, the vaults were dark they could not tell what was taken for a while. Plus the fog of war and taking reports from all kinds of upset people with various motives made it difficult to establish the facts. In my experience it was one of the most confused and confusing news events I have ever followed. But for the most part I do not think it was a media conspiracy to make the Administration look bad. That's just conservative paranoia. After all the event was reported on during a major war, the aftermath was and is still very very chaotic.
I was very upset about the initial news of the looting of the museum (And all the other looting too, Iraq is a mess. It is a tar baby but that's another subject.) When it's all said and done, we DID NOT guard that museum and no intention to guard it till we got good and ready. That STILL bugs me. They just did not do their best in that area. I don't think the military are the "bad" guys. But I don't think they are "perfect" guys either. I hope that that in the future the military will get the message that they should try to come up with more and better strategies to assure the protection of historical sites in war zones. It's just one of those things modern people want the military to be able to do. I am sure the military are up to the challange.
I especially objected to those precious antiquties and ancient works of art being referred to as "just pots" and "relics of a dead past." I am glad not everyone feels that way.