[CPProt.net] Police seize artifacts stolen from Iraq Museum

[Museum Security and Cultural Property Protection (Ton Cremers)]

Police seize artifacts stolen from Iraq Museum
By Saadoun al-Jaberi

Azzaman, January 3, 2006

Iraqi border police have seized 174 archaeological pieces which were looted
form the Iraq Museum, a police source said.
The source, refusing to be named, said the artifacts were seized in southern
Iraq as the smugglers were trying to take them out of the country.
"Seven suspects have been apprehended and they have already admitted that
they intended to smuggle the pieces to a foreign country," the source added.

Antiquities experts who studied the seized artifacts say they were part of
the possessions of the Iraq Museum which were looted shortly after the 203
U.S.-led invasion. 

"They are precious pieces as they include ancient silver ornaments such
bracelets, rings, chains as well as other precious stone decorations," the
source said.

Massive looting of the Iraq Museum, one of the world's riches in ancient
artifacts, took place in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion.
Experts say as many as 15,000 objects disappeared and at least 10,000 of
them are still unaccounted for.

The museum library, the Middle East's richest in sources on ancient
civilizations, was set on fire and prices Mesopotamian artifacts were
smashed by looters.

While looting of museums has stopped, experts say robbers continue
plundering many of the more than 10,000 archaeologically registered ancient
sites in the country.

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