Iraq starts official negotiations with US to reclaim Hebrew-language archive
By APThursday, May 13, 2010
Iraq, US begin talks over fate of Hebrew archive
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government is negotiating with U.S. authorities the return of millions of documents seized by U.S. troops and sent to Washington after the 2003 invasion.
The director of the Iraq National Library and Archives, Saad Eskander, says the most valuable of these documents is the Iraqi Jewish Archive of books, manuscripts and records.
Eskander told reporters Thursday that the other documents belong to Saddam Hussein’s disbanded Baath Party and his security services.
A delegation visited the U.S. last week to discuss the documents’ return. Eskander was a member of the delegation.
U.S. troops found a collection of Hebrew-language documents in 2003 in a flooded basement. The documents were taken to the U.S. for treatment and safekeeping.
