A deck of playing cards with messages about how U.S. troops can protect precious antiquities and archaeological sites in Iraq and Afghanistan has been created by Colorado State University and the Department of Defense.

Nearly 50,000 decks of cards are being distributed in Iraq and Afghanistan and at military installations in the United States. The playing cards are one tool in a wider effort by the Pentagon to prevent damage to ancient sites and to curb the illegal trade of stolen artifacts in Iraq.

Fort Carson, south of Colorado Springs, has received 3,500 decks of the cards, and distributed a handful of them to environmental officers assigned to units on post.

"They just thought these were great," said Pam Cowen, cultural resources manager for Fort Carson. "They opened them up, they were playing with them."

At the start of the Iraq war, locals looted museums and archaeological sites, which date to as early as 9,000 B.C.

The U.S. military received a public relations black eye after a British newspaper reported that military operations caused "widespread damage and severe contamination to the remains of the ancient city of Babylon."

The report said military vehicles crushed archaeological sites, and sand and earth were removed to fill sandbags.

The Pentagon responded by developing programs to create more cultural awareness among troops. Along with the cards, a website and training scenarios with mock archaeological sites and cemeteries have been developed.

Each card has a different image and a caption with a message. Some of the messages deal with the history of Iraq or Afghanistan, the nature of sensitive archaeological sites or reminders that Iraq is the cradle of civilization.

Source 

The US military must further risk their lives during battle by being extra careful to protect these culturally sensitive historic sites so that the Iraqi sand monkeys cradle of civilization can continue to loot them? Brilliant! 

We’ve already asked our military to fight with its hands tied, let’s bind the feet now too!