Nobody knows more about the trade in stolen antiquities better than James McAndrew, a former senior special agent with Homeland Security. In a recent excellent text he warns that it is only when the countries neighbouring Syria and Iraq do more to halt the terrible destruction that progress will be made. In short, the Middle East must put its own house in order. He also debunks the notion that collectors here and in Europe are financing the terrorists and disproves the assumptions that looted Syrian material is coming here in any quantity.
On the contrary, evidence suggests that objects pillaged in Syria and Iraq predominantly remain in the region.[...] Assistance should be given for increased border security, border enforcement, and the discovery and recovery of looted artefacts before they leave the region. Punitive measures should also be considered by Unesco if any one of the countries neighbouring the conflict refuses to assist. [...] To stop the spread of looted artefacts, action must take place at the borders of Syria and Iraq. The best example of a pro-active effort is the now well-known story of the Monuments Men (and women), recently made into a film by George Clooney. During the Second World War the Allied forces were aggressive in their pursuit of stolen works of art and antiquities. It makes sense for an international coalition to proactively encircle Syria and Iraq’s borders to intercept looted artefacts and stem the flow of the heritage of these beleaguered countries.Why should the American collector carry the can for the mismanagement of incompetent and corrupt foreign ragheads? Let the failed nations of the Middle East get their own house in order and stop being a burden for the rest of us. What they cannot be bothered to stop at their borders however should be considered 'fair game' once it is within ours.
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