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[casi] Thieves as Liberators!!




http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030424/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_thefts_13

Media, Troops Investigated in Iraq Theft
2 hours, 38 minutes ago

By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Members of the news media and U.S.
soldiers are being investigated for taking art,
artifacts, weapons and cash from Iraq (news - web
sites), with criminal charges already brought in one
case, federal officials said Wednesday.

At least 15 paintings, gold-plated firearms,
ornamental knives, Iraqi government bonds and other
items have been seized at airports in Washington,
Boston and London in the last week, according to the
bureaus of Customs and Border Protection and of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

None of the items displayed at a news conference were
priceless antiquities looted from Iraqi museums.
Still, Customs and military officials stressed there
will be no tolerance for American service personnel or
civilians bringing Iraqi souvenirs or war trophies
back to the United States.

"This is theft," said Jayson Ahern, a senior field
operations official at the Customs and Border
Protection bureau. "We are there to liberate. This
must cease."

So far, only Benjamin James Johnson, who worked as an
engineer for Fox News Channel, has been charged. But
officials said more charges could be brought and more
seizures of stolen items are expected in what is being
dubbed "Operation Iraqi Heritage."

"This activity is clearly illegal," said Michael T.
Dougherty, operations director at the Immigration and
Customs Enforcement bureau.

Museums, businesses, government offices and homes were
looted in Baghdad and other cities after the fall of
President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime.
Among the items stolen were thousands of artworks and
other antiquities, some thousands of years old, from
Iraq's vast collections of items from Assyrian,
Mesopotamian, Sumerian and other cultures.

Customs agents are in Baghdad working with the museums
to inventory what was stolen. The FBI (news - web
sites) and the Interpol law enforcement network also
are helping investigate and recover lost items.

U.S. military officials also say that about $900,000
was taken by American soldiers from a cache of about
$600 million in U.S. currency found in Baghdad palace
complexes. Officials say most of the money has been
recovered. Five soldiers are under investigation.

Johnson, 27, is charged in a criminal complaint filed
in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., with
attempting to smuggle 12 paintings taken from a palace
in Baghdad through Dulles International Airport
outside Washington in a large cardboard box.

After initially telling inspectors the paintings were
given to him by Iraqi citizens, Johnson admitted that
he took them from a palace that belonged to Uday
Hussein, one of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's sons,
while traveling with the U.S. military.

The paintings, depicting Saddam, Uday and Arab
historical scenes, have little historical value but
could bring sizable prices because of their links to
the deposed regime, officials said. Johnson told
inspectors he wanted them mainly for decoration.

An examination of Johnson's luggage also turned up 40
Iraqi Monetary Bonds and a visitor's badge from the
U.S. embassy in Kuwait. Johnson, of Alexandria, Va.,
faces up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in
fines on both smuggling and false statements counts.

Attempts to reach Johnson by telephone Wednesday were
unsuccessful.

Johnson worked for six years as a satellite truck
engineer for Fox, which fired him after learning he
had acknowledged taking the paintings, a network
statement said.

Customs officials said unidentified U.S. service
personnel attempted to ship a rifle, pistol, and AK-47
assault rifle — all gold-plated — as well as swords
and knives taken from an Iraqi government facility to
a military base in the United States. The items were
intercepted last Friday at London's Heathrow Airport,
then shipped to Fort Stewart, Ga.

U.S. soldiers have been warned repeatedly not to bring
home war trophies and will be searched by military
police and Customs inspectors as they return from
Iraq, said Mark Raimondi, spokesman for the Army
Criminal Investigative Division.

Customs officials in Boston said they confiscated
several souvenirs, including a painting, from Boston
Herald reporter Jules Crittenden when he returned
Saturday from Kuwait. The U.S. attorney's office in
Boston decided not to charge Crittenden with a crime,
a spokeswoman said.

The Herald said Crittenden declared the items and
cooperated with Customs.

Additional Iraqi items, including a painting,
gold-plated emblem, gun holster and knife, that were
being shipped by several other unidentified members of
the media, were seized at Dulles on Monday. Those
cases are still being investigated.



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