IRAQ: Iraqi authorities seize more than 30 pieces of stolen artefacts

Iraqi police have seized 34 ancient Iraqi artefacts believed to have been stolen from the Iraqi National Museum in the wake of U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The artefacts were seized on Wednesday (August 1) by Iraqi police in Al-Ahrar district, northwest of Kut city, 170 km (105 miles) southeast of Baghdad. "While patrolling the area, we chased a motorbike. The driver of the motorbike managed to escape but a black plastic bag fell from him. We found in the bag 34 pieces of artefacts believed to belong to the Iraqi Museum," said police sergeant Ali Mohammed Ridha. The value of the pieces, which included statues and gold and silver coins stamped on both sides with Arabic inscription and dating back to Islamic period, is not clear. Iraq's National Museum, which held thousands of artefacts from ancient Mesopotamia, one of the world's earliest civilizations, was looted along with other institutions as U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein's regime in April, 2003. The looting has been described as "the crime of the century" and the U.S. military has been accused of not doing enough to stop it. One of Iraq's most valuable artefacts -- a priceless statue -- was repatriated to the Iraqi government last week three years after it was stolen from the national museum and hailed as a symbol of the country's ancient past and future potential. The statue was housed in the Iraqi National Museum until it and thousands of other artefacts were looted following the 2003 invasion. U.S. customs officials recovered the statue in Syria earlier this year and it was then taken to New York to be authenticated.

ITN Source | August 3, 2006

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