an icepick through the keyhole

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that actually trying to arrest looters has done no good in deterring looting

As I understand it, they haven't been able to arrest looters. Ok, yeah, they can arrest them, but the entire judicial system is broken down, so they can't jail them, can't try them, and can't punish them in accordance with the law, because there are no functioning laws. And the US, to date, hasn't shown much interest or ability to resolve this situation. Despite the demands of the Geneva Conventions.