# Wartime Looting?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-looting/167412>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-looting/167412 "2003-04-08T21:56:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chubbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Chubbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chubbs)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-looting/167412/1 "2003-04-08T21:56:03Z")

</div>

Are the US Soldiers allowed to loot the buildings they blow up? Take “Souvenirs” if you will.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-looting/167412/2 "2003-04-08T22:15:11Z")

</div>

_Allowed_? Probably not, unless the items taken had no material worth. On the other hand, looting and “souvenirs” is/are as old as war itself. Soldiers, including American ones, have always done it… from the necklace of ears to the great artworks of Europe, at some point nearly everything becomes fair game.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-looting/167412/3 "2003-04-08T23:16:06Z")

</div>

No, its strictly against military regulations. Obviously, it happens – check out a Yahoo news story posted today on the very subject.