Iraqi and Syrian Cultural Property: U.S. Government Committee Should Incorporate Additional Collaboration Practices
Abstract
The conflicts in Iraq and Syria that began in 2003 and 2011, respectively, have led to the destruction, looting, and trafficking of cultural property by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and others. The United Nations called these events the worst cultural heritage crisis since World War II and reported that ISIS has used the sale of looted Iraqi and Syrian cultural property to support its terrorist activities. Congress authorized and the President imposed import restrictions on archaeological or ethnological material of Iraq in 2008 and Syria in 2016. The act directing Syrian restrictions also includes a sense of Congress that the President should establish an interagency committee to coordinate executive branch efforts on international cultural property protection. GAO was asked to review U.S. efforts to protect Iraqi and Syrian cultural property. This report examines (1) actions DHS and DOJ have taken to enforce U.S. laws and regulations involving restrictions on such property and (2) the extent to which CHCC participants collaborate to protect cultural property. GAO reviewed documents related to 17 DHS- or DOJ led cultural property investigations, interviewed officials, and assessed the extent of CHCC collaboration using GAO's key practices.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 19, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1177337
Entities
People
- Diana Blumenfeld
- Elizabeth Repko
- Kim Frankena
- Thomas Melito
- Victoria Lin
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office