A gaping hole caused by a rocket is seen under a relief sculpture that adorns the main archway of the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad in this June 21, 2003, photo.

Although looting is no longer a prime concern, authorities at the museum fear that the building could become a target for bombers, according to the Associated Press.

''We are afraid of bombings," said Maysoon al-Bayati, a media official at the museum. ''We are afraid if we open the museum, bombers with explosive belts would come and damage the museum."

But U.S. Marine Reserve Col. Matthew Bogdanos, who led a probe into the 2003 looting, disagrees.

"I would open the museum tomorrow,'' Bogdanos told the AP. ''If you close the museum, the bad guys win. This is what the bad guys want. They're winning. So open the museum.''

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