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War, Antiquities, and Responses: Colgate University Conference on Preserving Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict

ByRick St. Hilaire

Monuments Men author Robert Edsel speaking at Colgate University. From the looters shovel to the auction gavel, large scale cultural property theft and destruction occur during times of instability. That is how…

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Antiquities Trafficking Investigation Reveals Suspected Ties to Terrorism and Money Laundering — “Seize and Send” Outcome Flags Need for Special Prosecutors

ByRick St. Hilaire

ICE returned smuggled antiquities to Afghanistanduring a photo-op held in Washington, DC in 2013.No prosecutions resulted from the case. Newly obtained documents released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveal…

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The Assyrian Head Repatriation: Filling in the Details of ICE’s Investigation

ByRick St. Hilaire

This week U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned a looted fragmented limestone head of Assyrian King Sargon II to Iraq. The stone carving once sat…

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Seize and Send: No Arrests Announced as ICE Sends Evidence Back to Afghanistan

ByRick St. Hilaire

Roman oinochoe. Courtesy of ICE. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week sent back evidence of cultural heritage trafficking to Afghanistan without making any arrests. The items returned include an…

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Afghanistan’s Looted History and U.S. Law

ByRick St. Hilaire

National Geographic’s “Who’s Stealing Afghanistan’s Cultural Treasures?” (August 1, 2013) offers valuable first-hand information about the looting and smuggling of Afghanistan’s archaeological treasures. So what could happen legally if stolen…