] 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. US 'will repair' Iraqi heritage |