if the original story is true, then the seller may soon be put in an awkward situation of having to grass up his marine buddy as he will be traceable now through ebay if someone did manage to do something about it.
I could see how such items would be scattared about in a place like a Falluja after a battle like that.
We shouldnt assume either that this wasnt signed off officially by the US army as a legit war trophy. Considering the hardness of the fighting there and the casualties, a marine presenting what was likely an uncleaned dusty unimpressive looking dagger (in that condition, to the untrained eye) as a trophy to take home might not have met too much resistance from the persons responsible for signing off on it.
Although saying that, the fact its on ebay after the owner expressing that it most certainly was not for sale raises red flags.
Items like what this might be are the tip of the iceberg unfortunately as far as looting from that region in recent times goes. The looting of the Iraqi museums during the fall of Sadam still pains me to think about. I wonder whether any of it was recovered. Bet some made it to ebay.
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