Painting believed stolen from Iraq seized by Jordan

Back to the War on Saddam Insane Page
Back to the Government-Media Complex Page

Apr. 19, 2003. 10:03 AM

Artwork from national museum seized at border post

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordanian customs officials have seized 42 paintings believed to have been looted from Iraq's national museum, government officials said today.

The paintings were taken earlier in the week at al-Karameh border post from unidentified journalists entering Jordan from Iraq and were sent to the main customs department in Amman, said the officials, well-informed on the confiscated items.

The paintings were being verified for authenticity but that preliminary checks led to them to believe the material had been looted from Iraq, the officials said on condition of anonymity. They declined to provide other details.

Officials at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, usually responsible for investigating such matters, were not immediately available for comment.

Ad-Dustour, Jordan's second-largest daily newspaper, broke the news today in a short article quoting Mahmoud Qteishat, the director general of the Jordanian customs department.

Qteishat reportedly said after border customs discovered the paintings, he instructed his officers to "take all necessary measures to confiscate any stolen items from the Iraqi national museum and library" — which were targeted by looters following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime last week.

Al-Karameh border post has been Iraq's lifeline since sweeping UN sanctions were imposed on Iraq in the wake of its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The desert outpost was used for shipments of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies to Iraq and for passengers embarking on a 12-hour overland trip to the Iraqi capital.

Al-Karameh is 420 kilometres northeast of the Jordanian capital Amman.

Copyright 1996-2003. Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved.

Comments: Oh please identify these journalists because if you just leave us to speculation we're surely going to be disappointed. ;-)

---

Reply 1 - Posted by: Packard Man, 4/19/2003 2:10:28 PM Al Jazeerah?

Reply 2 - Posted by: crossbow, 4/19/2003 2:12:03 PM Journalists? I'm shocked.

Reply 3 - Posted by: cooter, 4/19/2003 2:24:29 PM Dishonest journalist? Say it aint so!!!!!!!

Reply 4 - Posted by: aquilegia, 4/19/2003 2:30:30 PM Gosh, I thought all the stealing was done by low class riff-raff at the behest of the American government.

Reply 5 - Posted by: shadeau, 4/19/2003 2:32:19 PM After seeing Saddam's taste, I wouldn't be surprised if the painting turned out to be a velvet Elvis.

Reply 6 - Posted by: ruready?, 4/19/2003 2:33:32 PM I thought the criticism of this military failure came from journalists. We must make MUCH of this - if true.

Reply 7 - Posted by: WyoEagle, 4/19/2003 2:35:19 PM But, but, isn't it the media (journalists) who are accusing the U.S. of not stopping the "looting" and the thefts from the museum? Please identify this band of merry thieves.

Reply 8 - Posted by: acidkibitzer, 4/19/2003 2:46:54 PM Each of the 42 paintings turns out to be of the erstwhile Iraqi (Dis)Information Minister (the one that looks like Uncle Milty with a beret). Each depicts him telling one of 42 whoppers he told about "defeating" coalition forces.

Reply 9 - Posted by: Delilah, 4/19/2003 2:54:28 PM I'm betting they worked for the New York Slimes. After all, only a liberal snob appreciates art.

Reply 10 - Posted by: let*s roll, 4/19/2003 2:56:39 PM Could be a journalist impersonator.