Iraq’s treasured buildings shown on deck of cards for US forces

The US military has been given a deck of cards showing some of Iraq’s finest buildings and archaeological gems in a bid to stop them being bombed.The cards are training aids designed to help the service members understand the archaeological significance of their deployed locations.

"It has been my experience that deploying personnel appreciate the history and heritage of the countries where they deploy," said Laurie Rush, a cultural resource program manager for DOD's Legacy Resource Management Program at Fort Drum, N.Y. "The Soldiers at Fort Drum have been extremely appreciative of our efforts to make training here as realistic as possible and to provide them with information."

Each card has a picture of an archaeological site, artifact or a brief statement about actions that should be taken upon discovering an archaeological site. They explain what constitutes an archaeological site and what to watch for before carrying out missions near these sites. The cards are also are a great source for understanding the culture in which the Soldiers are fighting, Ms. Rush said.

Each card in the new deck tells a story. The two of clubs card depicts the Nabi Yunis mosque in Mosul, Iraq. There is speculation that this mosque holds the ruins of the biblical prophet Jonah.

The six of hearts has a photograph of an artifact with a picture carved in stone. The card reads, "The world's oldest complete legal code was found in Iraq on a stone carved with an image of Hammurabi, King of Babylon, ca. 1760 B.C."