The looting appeared to have its heaviest impact on a security guard at the museum, Abdul Rahman, 57, who said he had tried to stop the first band of looters breaking through to steel gates at the rear of the compound on Thursday morning. He said he gave up when the looters started firing in the air with pistols and rifles. "They were shouting, `There's no government, there's no state, and we will do what we like. We will take anything we want.' They said `Open up, open up, there's no more Saddam so we can do what we like.' "
from the nyt story on the looting