JORDAN TO RETURN STOLEN ANTIQUITIES TO IRAQ
(ANSAmed) - AMMAN, JUNE 20 - Jordan will return to Iraq
around 2,466 artefacts, including gold coins and jewellery,
which were stolen after the US-led invasion of its neighbour.
"The artefacts will be handed over on Sunday to the Iraqi
state minister of tourism Mohammed Abbas Oreibi", Jordanian
Tourism minister Maha Khatib said as reported by Middle East
online. Khatib told the state-run Petra news agency that the
"objects, which include Islamic and ancient manuscripts, have
been seized by Jordanian customs officials."
Around 32,000 artefacts were looted from 12,000
archaeological sites around Iraq during the chaos that followed
the 2003 invasion along with 15,000 items stolen from the
Baghdad National Museum.
According to Iraqi officials, only 4,000 artefacts have been
recovered despite the introduction of a reward system offering
up to 3,000 dollars to those handing in stolen items. Iraq is
described as the cradle of civilisation with some of the first
evidence of complex urban life appearing within its borders
around 3000 BC. (ANSAmed).
2008-06-20 18:34