Tomb raiders: thieves plunder Iraq's ancient treasures.(Special Report) From: Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication | Date: September 5, 2003 | COPYRIGHT 2003 Weekly Reader Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Under the hot desert sun, dozens of diggers armed with shovels and pickaxes jab at the hard earth. Any spot will do. Seemingly obsessed, they dig dig and dig, dislodging the compacted dirt as fast as they can, heaving it into huge piles. Before long, the ground is so full of holes that it looks like the desert's version of a giant piece of Swiss cheese.

The diggers don't know exactly what they're looking for--any kind of treasure will do.

This isn't Camp Gree...