It doesn’t look like looting, this violation of the Iraq Museum, more like vandalism, anger which found its expression in breaking the artefacts of Iraq’s five thousand year old civilisation.



The archaeologists who work here are in despair. Their countrymen did this, and their new rulers allowed it to happen.



Raid Abdel–rida Mohammed, an archaelogist, said: "They just came in and occupied the country and they didn’t know what they were doing. We‘d have been better off keeping Saddam Hussein - at least people were scared of him.



“People would never have done this when he was in power. I’m saying this before God and history. After this you might as well shoot me."



Irreplaceable photographs, records, computer files… ransacked and burnt. The museums were associated with the regime, but Saddam Hussein is only one short episode in the long history of this land.



Despite him, the museum kept up its links with the British Museum and other international organisations. The volunteers trying to stop further attacks say the Americans sent five soldiers when they told them what was happening. They chased away the vandals, but when they left the thugs came back.



How did it happen? The door to the vault bears no mark of being forced. It seems that someone who had a key must have let the mob in – not looting, but sabotage.



The Americans think the answer is to bring in the old guard – today the police chief from Saddam Hussein’s days was ushered through the Palestine Hotel foyer for a meeting. He could have his old job back soon.



A few blocks away, the community has taken matters into their own hands. Another truckload of looted goods, but this lot is being un-looted.



The people of Karrada East have set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme – they’re stopping the cars and taking the stolen goods to the mosque. Every item is carefully entered in a ledger…to eventually be returned to its rightful owner.



Saad al Tuaima: "No controls. I have two daughters. If someone comes and rapes my daughters or my sister then I may kill myself. Who is going to protect me? We are protecting ourselves with the means we have."



A senior Shi’a cleric Ayatollah Sistani has issued a fatwa – looting is wrong, neighbourhoods must organise groups to counter it. The goods are recovered at gunpoint, because everyone is armed here.



Safa al-din Hamza Sultan, Neighbourhood Watch Organiser: "There were problems because the boys were shooting. One of ours was killed by mistake – we were firing at the looters and he got hit. I told the American major, you’ve caused this.



“The state and the security organisations were there. Then they collapsed. You stood by and let all this happen."



The old headman from before Saddam Hussein took power has re-emerged as a figurehead of the neighborhood group.



After 3 days of anarchy the old systems are re-asserting themselves. The mosque is the focus. The headman first elected in 1950 has authority once again. The community feels the Americans aren’t doing enough to bring back law and order, so they have to do it for themselves.



The Americans are finally realising they must do something, but the last few days of anarchy have destroyed all hope of a quick return to any kind of normal life.