Hello SAA colleagues!
It is with enormous pleasure that I share with you today some news, or rather, information regarding the records that were seized by the US government when it entered into conflict with Iraq in 2003.
What follows my signature is Dr. Saad Eskander's direct communication with me dated April 07, 2022; he has granted me permission to share it with you as well as his email address for additional inquiries.
To remind, Dr. Eskander is the former Director of the National Library and Archives of Iraq; he can be reached at sseskander2004@yahoo.com.Thank you for your interest!
Karen
"I just like to share with you some information re the seized Iraqi records by the States. A month ago and during an official meeting with some officials from the State Department via Zoom I learnt that my campaign for the returning of these records to Baghdad had been successful.
Before I left my post as the Directore General of the National Library & Archive, the United States sent back to Iraq 100 Millions records! This development was a direct result of my last meeting with some senior diplomats from the US Embassy in Baghdad in late December 2012, when we reached an agreement. The State Department's officials sent me some documents re the handing over of the records to some Iraq senior official.
I do not truly see this as a victory for Iraq over the States, but a victory for all of us, the committed archivists all over the world, over the narrow minded politicians, bureaucrats and Intelligence services.
I have never forgotten your support or that of your American and Canadian colleagues who did not hesitate to issue a statement in my defence when I and my institution were going through extremely difficult time and facing many challenges internally and externally.
I forgot to ask you to pass my immense gratitude to the American Archivists Association for their support.
I felt that it was my duty to thank very much all those people, especially in the States, who stood by me and my institution during tough times."
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Karen Jamison TRIVETTE, MLS
Professor, Head of Special Collections and College Archives
Gladys Marcus Library | Goodman Resource Center | Room E432
Fashion Institute of Technology - SUNY
227 West 27 Street
New York City, NY 10001-5992
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Karen Trivette
Prof., Head of Special Collections and College Archives
Fashion Institute of Technology
New York NY
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