Thanks so much for your note; no apology required. One is quite often justified in suspicions that writers have attempted to handwave the hard stuff; science fiction, particularly in its mass media incarnations, is especially guilty. As a field, sf has not done a particularly good job with Sumer (Robert SIlverberg's work excepted) and the image of Pazuzu from "The Exorcist," to be polite, fails to capture significant dimensions of this demon's role.

As an interested amateur, I share your horror and sadness at the impact of America's adventure in Iraq in lives, cultural hostility, and irreplaceable artifacts. Even before this latest episode, the contributions of the region to Western culture were given short shrift, and I cannot imagine the situation will improve. I'd like my stories to at least contribute to a more positive understanding and be responsibly researched. I'm actually very glad to have met you all -- which never would have happened without this thread. So thanks for caring enough about my writing to challenge it. :)