I just ask, because when we were in OIF I, we were told by our Commander that as long as it wasn't an artifact and we didn't raid a museum, anything found in the palaces we occupied were fair game. Whatever you could fit in your quad cons that customs deemed appropriate for shipment back, and no contraband, basically. A lot of people brought home fine china, golden trinkets, furniture,simple jewelry and even Persian rugs. of course, standard items like silk hijabs, mink blankets, portraits of Saddam, and cleaned out hookahs topped the most popular list. when there was still some for the taking , of course wine cellars were raided and consumed too.

My question is, was this looting? Or was it acqusition of the spoils of war? I mean, the palaces were occupied and people had to survive.

I'm with m1a1mike on this. this was looting. Sorry.

Your Commander was uninformed, incompotant or just plain wrong. according to the documents M1A1 cited. what you describe is looting. I would report this matter to your chain of command. If that don't work take it to the MPs.

Is non-artifact, non-museum/cultural legal during war?