Archive Threats Come Home to U.S.
Robert Fisk writes in the London Independent newspaper: “So yesterday was the burning of books: first came the looters, then the arsonists. It was the final chapter in the sacking of Baghdad. The National Library and Archives ? a priceless treasure of Ottoman historical documents, including the old royal archives of Iraq ? were turned to ashes in 3,000 degrees of heat. Then the library of Korans at the Ministry of Religious Endowment were set ablaze.” Could it happen here? The impulse to destroy archives runs deep among people who would like to alter history to fit their beliefs. The National Archives and Records Administration is reporting an upsurge in threats against U.S. National Archives, and wants to tighten their regulations.
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