Warbird Information Exchange

Let me start by saying that this is purely my opinion, and I don’t mean for this to turn into an off topic political statement. That being said…………..

I’m not the slightest bit interested in helping the Iraqis rebuild their museum and quite honestly don’t know why anybody else would be either. No matter how interesting of a country Iraq is, it will never be a tourist destination. At least, not in our life times. It's too dangerous. Iraq has many things that are of higher priority than aviation museums. Keeping their own religious nuts from beheading folks is pretty important. Not to mention the fact that their own government isn’t stable enough to stop the crime going on in their country.

Right now, a couple of thousand lunatics are hiding in a Mosque that a large part of the world’s Muslims consider sacred. It is so sacred that the U.S. is getting soldiers killed fairly often, because the U.S. Government won’t attack it. The “bad” Iraqis (some of the ones that consider it sacred by the way) know that, so they are hiding in it, firing shells out of it and storing weapons in it. The U.S. Government is letting the “good” Iraqi government try to stabilize the situation. It’s not working. They can’t control their own population. Their newly appointed leader is being looked at for counterfeiting money and a newly appointed Iraqi judge in charge of prosecuting Hussein is under investigation for murder. I hope an aviation museum is pretty low on their priority list.

Things are getting better I admit. More kids go to school in Iraq today than at any point in the last 30 years. More hospitals are open; more people (outside of major cities) have water and electricity than at any point in history. As long as people are being kidnapped off the streets and murdered, building tourist attractions isn’t too important.

Yes a couple of Sea Fury’s were carried back by the British. I say more power to them. Do you honestly think the Iraqi’s were going to do any thing with them? Because they were taken out of the country, there is a good chance that they will be restored and fly again.

I’ve got little regard or sympathy for the Iraqis and their lack of an Air Force Museum. Had their government not hidden much of their air force among their museum, it wouldn’t have been bombed. Their museums wasn’t near a fighter base, it WAS a fighter base. Or at least it became that after they moved what may very well have been operable airplanes in among them. Look back on the old board and you can find other posts about this subject by me and a few others. Most people have seen pictures of the Sea Fury’s that were found near Basra. Did it look like they were being well cared for or preserved? Most of them werelocated on military bases. How many “average Iraqis” do you think were able to have access to them?

Now, as for the other museums besides aviation ones; I think that the looting of the Iraq National Museum shortly after the invasion was sad. Far too many things more valuable to Iraqi history than a Sea Fury ever will be, disappeared. But don’t forget, it wasn’t looted by Americans or the British. It was looted by your average Iraqi citizen.


If anybody is interested in helping the people of Iraq get back on their feet, I think that is a very noble cause. But there are ways that make far more sense than rebuilding their museums. The Red Cross, Red Crescent, any number of other international aid associations will be glad to take your contributions. Me, I’ve carried out too many dead and wounded American and British soldiers to care.

I'm going back over there again in a couple of days. If things look any better, maybe I'll change my mind. But, I doubt it.

_________________
Brad

Spot on Brad.

_________________
Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

All--

This is a nice idea...the time for which, I think, has not yet come. When (or if) the situation in Iraq improves to the point at which the rich history of the region can be appreciated and enjoyed by both Iraqis and visitors, then by all means, reconstitute an aviation collection there. A GRP Fury replica would be suitable, and it is not exactly difficult to locate static MiGs and Hunters either. Nor need that be on a handout basis: Iraq is of course rich in other resources besides history. But until things are put right there, it's too soon for a nice idea like this one.

Brad--Godspeed!

S.

Rob

In a perfect world I would agree with you, but apart from the obvious needs of the average Iraqi, I think the ancient treasures should get first priority, rather than funding for an Air Museum. They never had a purpose built Museum of that type previously anyway. Some were at an airfield and the majority of the others were in the grounds of the city race course. Whether the aircraft there were destroyed or not I have no idea.
Lets hope for everyones sake the whole bloody mess is sorted out sooner rather than later

Best of luck Brad, take care out there.

Dave

Sorry Rob,

I see a good number of aviation museums in our own country that could use both volunteers and/or finances to help keep them open. That is where my support will continue to go..............Roger

I sympathise with the looters! Folks any and all Sea Fury's and other exotica that comes to the states out of there shold be tax free import and no questions asked. BTW they are still shooting AT us!

Umm forgive me if I am wrong Col but weren't you one of the poeple saying to just go in and grab the airframes in new guinea?

and now you are saying people shouldn't do that in iraq? at least the PNG peoples don't behead you simply for being there. Although I agree these airframes ought to be treated with respect and preserved before they become aluminium dust smudges on the ground I fail to see the distinction between grabbing and running from iraq and doing the same from new guinea. In one case it is the govt's repression and greed and shortsightedness that prevented it and in the other it is similar. Forgive me if I am wrong in any of this but well... I can't see the difference in some ways between the 2 lightnings from png and the seafuries from iraq, except that the seafuries would NOT have corroded to dust as fast from how it seems.

_________________
Jeff

Quote

How apapoe for you to use one of the worst examples of HOLLYWOOD ARCHAEOLIGIST for a name.

Unquote

Apapoe???

Cheers

Cees

This thread is locked, no more replys to it will be allowed due to the general animosity and personal attacks it is generating.

_________________
Scott Rose
Editor-In-Chief/Webmaster
Warbirds Resource Group - Warbird Information Exchange - Warbird Registry

Be civil, be polite, be nice.... or be elsewhere.
-------------------------------------------------------
This site is brought to you with the support of members like you. If you find this site to be of value to you,
consider supporting this forum and the Warbirds Resource Group with a VOLUNTARY subscription
For as little as $2/month you can help ($2 x 12 = $24/year, less than most magazine subscriptions)
So If you like it here, and want to see it grow, consider helping out.



Thanks to everyone who has so generously supported the site. We really do appreciate it.

Follow us on Twitter! @WIXHQ