PRT NINEWA: MOSUL MUSEUM, CLOSED AND WITH A

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000691 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2018 TAGS: PGOV SCUL EAIR PINR PREL MARR IZ SUBJECT: PRT NINEWA: MOSUL MUSEUM, CLOSED AND WITH A LIMITED COLLECTION, STILL IMPRESSIVE Classified By: NINEWA PRT LEADER JASON HYLAND: 1.4 (B) AND (D) This is a PRT Ninewa reporting cable. ¶1. (C) PRT Leader, Public Affairs Officer, and other PRT staff visited the Mosul Museum February 21 to meet Museum Director Muzahem Hussein (please protect) and assess conditions at this important cultural institution, which has been closed since 2003 because of security. The museum is housed in a modest complex of buildings not far from the Provincial Governor's Office in a relatively secure part of Iraq's second-largest city. -------------- MUSEUM CLOSED SINCE 2003 -------------- ¶2. (C) The Museum closed in April 2003, but prior to closing the staff moved approximately 5,500 of the most valuable and portable items to storage at the Baghdad Museum. These items were shipped shortly before major looting occurred at the Baghdad Museum, Museum Director Hussein (please protect) said. Hussein said that he does not know what the status of these items are, saying that the Baghdad Museum has not done an inventory. He claimed that he lacked the Internet connectivity at the museum to maintain regular contact with the Ministry of Culture, and used a special delivery service for important correspondence. He cited three key factors that need to be in place before the museum can reopen. First and foremost, Mosul needs improved security. Second, he said that the air-conditioning system is broken and will need to be replaced before temperature-sensitive items can be brought back safely for display. Finally, he said that the items sent to Baghdad for safe-keeping will need to be inventoried and returned to their home. Hussein said he would welcome assistance from the U.S. Government but all such aid would need to be channeled through the Ministry of Culture for security reasons in order to keep the U.S. Government profile low. -------------- -------------- STILL IMPRESSIVE EVEN WITH ITS LIMITED COLLECTION -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) We toured the museum, led by an expert guide who spoke almost flawless English. (Note: We understand that she has participated in a six-week International Partnerships among Museums (IPAM) program in Chicago that was sponsored by the American Association of Museums. End Note.) The three galleries that still have items are the Hatra gallery, an Assyrian gallery and an Islamic gallery. Even with all the missing items ) and nearly all display cases were empty and dusty ) the museum remains impressive because of the massive stone artifacts, including several pieces of cuneiform-inscribed brick; several stone reliefs from Hatra kings; and the Mihrab of the Mosque of Banal al Hasan in Mosul * all items that were probably just too heavy or delicate to move quickly. Other museum staff, including Bernadette Hanna-Metti (please protect),who identified herself as a former museum director, exhibited a detailed knowledge of items in the museum. (Note: It is perhaps indicative of the tolerant traditions of Ninewa that the curator of the Islamic collection is a self-described Catholic. End Note.) ¶4. (C) Hussein expressed concern about safety both at the museum and at the archeological sites. He said he has not visited any of the archaeological sites since 2003, and did not feel comfortable visiting there with a Coalition Force escort because it might attract unwanted attention from insurgents. Hussein said that Coalition Forces had initially secured the excavation sites; however, now the security is arranged by the Federal Protection Service (FPS); he said he receives a status report from FPS each month. Hussein reported no issues with unauthorized visits to the sites. He said that most of the sites are on privately occupied land and landowners are not prohibited from using the land for agricultural purposes. -------------- PRT FOLLOW-UP -------------- ¶5. (C) The PRT will continue to maintain low-key engagement with the museum, and identify areas in which we can cooperate consistent with the Museum Director's security concerns. We are asking Embassy Baghdad's help in determining the status of the thousands of items shipped to the Baghdad Museum. We will also explore with the museum and the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) the potential to make modest clean-up and renovations to the Islamic collection and then support a carefully prepared program of bringing school children to visit. We BAGHDAD 00000691 002 OF 002 will also look for training opportunities for the museum staff, which seemed very professional and motivated, despite all the hardships they have faced. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) Mosul Museum was one of Iraq's leading museums, now reduced by security and other problems to a sad state. The Museum Director seemed in no hurry to reopen the museum. The PRT will work to support the museum staff in any way it can to prepare them for a successful reopening when conditions are right. The reopening of Mosul Museum would not only serve as a clear signal to Mosul residents that life was returning to a more normal level, but also encourage other steps to restore this city's once vibrant cultural life. End Comment. 7 (C) Biographic note: Muzahem Hussein is a graduate of the University of Baghdad and represents the Ministry of Culture. He was previously the excavation director for the Royal Tombs at Nimrud, one of the key Assyrian cities near Mosul, and is extremely proud of his leading role in discovering two royal tombs laden with gold. He published a book in 2000 that described in detail the gold and other treasures his excavation team discovered at Nimrud. He has written a second book about his excavations, and is interested in identifying outside funding for its translation. Despite his strong background as a digger, Hussein came across more as a bureaucrat than a dedicated scientist. Hussein said he is responsible for all of the excavation sites in Ninewa, including Nimrud and Hatra, both located south of Mosul. Hussein's politics were difficult to assess. However, he has been very reluctant to meet with U.S. Government representatives in the past. CROCKER