TODAY'S WINNER OF THE good point of the day goes the anonymous Marine.

Of all the roles many US soldiers are playing in Iraq, acting as custodians of Mesopotamia's cultural heritage has been the most gratifying and controversial - for themselves and for many Iraqis. Americans haven't been aggressive guardians, Iraqis said, and are squandering an opportunity to earn their trust by inadequately protecting ancient sites like Babylon.

Murphy, a muralist back home, revels in sharing tales from ancient Babylon that he gleaned from Mr. Sutton's history class at Braintree High School, and more recently from ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to Iraq,'' a gift from his wife. Other soldiers, however, resent their duties at some of Iraq's 10,000 archeological and museum sites, saying they were trained to fight a war, not hunt for artifacts or stand under the hot sun monitoring treasures that hold little meaning for them.

''I know how to kill people - that's my job,'' said one Marine stationed at a historical site in southern Iraq, who spoke on condition of anonymity. ''Now we're being asked to be these people's best friends. And guard their antiquities, even as Iraqis themselves steal them.''

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