Antiquities

"Under Saddam you were likely to be tortured and shot if you let someone steal an antiquity; in today's Iraq you are likely to be tortured and shot if you don't." -- Abbas al-Hussaini, "the head of Iraq's supposedly sovereign board of antiquities and heritage," as paraphrased by Simon Jenkins ("In Iraq's Four-year Looting Frenzy, the Allies Have Become the Vandals," Guardian, 8 June 2007)

If I keep reading things like this, I'll be tempted to give not only Iran's sexy President but also its Islamo-Stalinist Leader a blank check for defending his country -- and the cultural heritage of humanity that exists there -- from vandals by any means necessary.