§ Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthornasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why coalition forces failed to protect the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad against looting despite the earlier warning given to the United States Defense Department by Professor McGuire Gibson of the University of Chicago in a meeting with officials on 24 January, and to the Prime Minister by officers of the All Party Parliamentary Group in a letter dated 11 February.[HL2641]
§ Lord Bach:Throughout the military campaign, coalition forces have taken great care to ensure that damage to sites of historic, archaelogical or cultural importance has been minimised. However, at the time of the looting of the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad, coalition forces were engaged in other higher priority tasks, including warfighting operations and activity to stabilise the security situation throughout Iraq.