Iraq complains to Interpol as it seeks return of looted artefacts

 

Iraq has filed a complaint with Interpol as it seeks to increase pressure on several states to return looted artifacts, the culture ministry said. The country, the birthplace of the world's oldest recorded civilization, is home to artifacts. Some have been lost over the years and have yet to be found. "The case is ongoing and we have had excellent results in favor of the return of Iraqi antiquities," said ministry spokesman Ahmed Al Alawi. The Ministry informed that it had a plan to recover the stolen artifacts.

"There is a group of recovery operations including some foreign states cooperating with the ministry," Mr. Al Alawi said. For decades, the war-torn country has battled widespread theft of its antiques and old paintings. The looting began when the government lost control of the South in 1991 after the First Gulf War and continued during the security vacuum created after the US-led invasion of 2003.