German embassy, French cultural centre in Baghdad sacked by looters

Agence France-Presse | April 10. 2003

[HAL9000]

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The German embassy and the French cultural centre in Baghdad were sacked by looters Thursday, an AFP photographer witnessed.

The embassy in Karada Street and the cultural centre in Abu Nawwas Street, both in central Baghdad, were entered by dozens of people who set about seizing everything they could find.

The looters, including whole families, poured into the central courtyard of the embassy shortly after midday (0800 GMT), coming in cars and even on horseback.

They took away furniture, refrigerators, video machines and even the strip lighting.

Similar scenes took place at the cultural centre, though the French embassy was inaccessible, sealed off by barricades.

French diplomats have left the capital, leaving the protection of the premises to seven French employees.

France and Germany were leading lights in the efforts to prevent the war on Iraq which resulted in the downfall of Saddam Hussein's regime.

[HAL9000]

Hey France - You shut the hell up. We will not rebuild your cultural center.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

I am deeply saddened...NOT!

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[friendly]

Memo to France: The greatest WMD in Iraq was the brutality of socialism and the Ba'ath party, killing so many innocents. You propped up and profited from this horror. Sacking your Bagdad facility is only the beginning of the vengence against you from the Iraqi people.

[trebb]

France and Germany were leading lights in the efforts to prevent the war on Iraq which resulted in the downfall of Saddam Hussein's regime.

As O'Reilly would say, "Now that's pithy."

[EternalVigilance]

I'm deeply saddened...

[TigerLikesRooster]

Is the Russian embassy still intact ?
Did mobs skip the joint ?

[Conspiracy Guy]

French diplomats have left the capital, leaving the protection of the premises to seven French employees, who promptly surrendered.

[glock rocks]

Is the Russian embassy still intact ?
Did mobs skip the joint ?

... there's nothing there worth looting.

[LS]

This is only the beginning to the "sacking" we and the new Iraqi government are going to do to those economies. If the Germans thought the Versailles Treaty was bad . . . .

[WestTexasWend]

The Russian Embassy may still be occupied (by "former" military experts...or even Saddam)

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #11

Oh, no! Don't they know that Shi'ite mobs will be there in thousands if Saddam is holed up there. American troops may be overwhelmed.:)

[WestTexasWend]

Amazing how the truth will out, isn't it? Despite the lack of a free press, the Iraqi people know who the rats were in this deal...Germans, French, human shields. I'm hoping for pics of celebrants burning posters of Sheen, Streisand, Moore & Maines soon :)

[Prince Charles]

French diplomats have left the capital, leaving the protection of the premises to seven French employees.

Did the story mention when they surrendered?

[Hermann the Cherusker]

French diplomats have left the capital, leaving the protection of the premises to seven French employees.

Why am I not surprised the peons were left behind by the French power elitists?

[2timothy3.16]

I>BAGHDAD (AFP) - The German embassy and the French cultural centre in Baghdad were sacked by looters Thursday, an AFP photographer witnessed.

he he he he,Ho ho ho ho, hardy har har!

[Michael81Dus]

Mhm.. when my ancestors were marching over the Champs Elysee, the French agreed that Versailles Treaty was bad.

BTW, nobody blames the coalition forces for what happens in our embassy. That is (after-)war - and the reason why our diplomats have left the country some time ago.

I hope you won´t be disappointed, when you realize that the costs of the war were a lot higher than what your firms may get in Iraq. Schadenfreude is a German word - and hasn´t been used against America by the Leftists since Vietnam. I hope it won´t be used now - because I´m still a defender of a transatlantic partnership. I wonder how long I will stand for you here...

YOUR posts make me wondering why I´m here.

[Michael81Dus]

But you feel ok, do you?
What would you say if I laughed at the coffins flown back to the US and covered with the flag? I don´t think that any form of Schadenfreue is appropriate in that time! Schadenfreude is never appropriate among partners, allies, friends. And that is what we are - according to Sec. Powell and ME.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

YOUR posts make me wondering why I´m here.

YOUR posts make me wonder why, after my father and grandfather's generation spent two wars putting Germany in her place, that my generation spent 50 years defending her and reuniting her people. We spent BILLIONS of our dollars rebuilding YOUR COUNTRY and ask only a little silence from YOUR people while we once again sort out a mess made by others.

God Bless those who do right with no regard for what the weak of mind and morals "think."

[Tennessee_Bob]

Sometime back in March, 1993.