By Raf Casert
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12:44 a.m. February 3, 2007
BRUSSELS, Belgium – More than five years after the fall of the Taliban regime, the plundering of Afghanistan's archaeological sites and museums not only continues but has evolved into a sophisticated trade that could be financing the country's warlords and insurgents, experts say.
The International Council of Museums, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of the world's natural and cultural heritage, on Friday published a “red list” of Afghan antiquities at risk, urging collectors, dealers and museums to be vigilant when they come across objects that might have been stolen.
The list includes pottery and statuettes from the 3rd millennium B.C., golden reliquaries from the 1st century and Islamic panels from the 13th century.
“Ancient sites and monuments, ranging from the Old Stone Age to the 20th Century, are being attacked and systematically looted,” the Paris-based organization of museums said in a statement.
Some of the artifacts have turned up in fancy auction houses and antique shops in London, Tokyo and New York, the group said.
“Afghanistan is now at serious risk from organized destruction and plundering,” said ICOM Secretary General John Zvereff.
A crossroad of Asian culture for centuries, Afghanistan has always been a treasure trove for archaeologists.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070203-0044-afghan-looting.htmlI bet if you searched the house of Tom Delay you could find some of the looted treasure.
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