] The United States has pledged to recover and repair the
] priceless antiquities looted from Iraq's national museum
] in the wake of the entry of US troops.
]
] Secretary of State Colin Powell said the Baghdad museum
] was "one of the great museums in the world" and that the
] US would take a leading role in restoring it.
]
] Coalition forces were criticised for not protecting the
] institution, which housed many treasures from "the cradle
] of civilisation", when it was ransacked on Friday.
]
] The world's foremost experts on Iraqi heritage will
] gather for an emergency meeting on Thursday to count the
] cost of the looting of the country's cultural sites.