US agrees to return Iraq records

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The United States has agreed to return millions of archival documents that were seized by American troops after they invaded Iraq in 2003, the ABC News reported on Friday. “The historical documents fill 48,000 containers and are stored at the US State Department, the National Archives and the Hoover Institute,” it noted. They include records and files of Saddam Hussein‘s disbanded Baath Party, security service records and a stash of rare Jewish archives. The Jewish archives were found in a flooded basement by American forces soon after the 2003 invasion. Iraq has long sought their return, arguing they are a valuable part of the country’s heritage. The US has agreed to send back the documents but will give no guarantee on when. SH (P) 2