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Arabia
Kuwait says it seized smuggled Iraq "artefacts"
2003-10-03
Kuwaiti authorities have seized archaeological artefacts and ’’other items’’ smuggled from Iraq into Kuwait, Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah said in remarks published on Thursday. ’’Kuwaiti security forces were able to seize some Iraqi artefacts smuggled to Kuwait,’’ al-Sabah, who is also interior minister, was quoted as saying by al-Seyassah daily. He did not identify the other items.
This is where the confusion factor sets in.
Al-Sabah was responding to a question about a report the paper carried on Wednesday that Kuwaiti security forces had foiled an attempt to smuggle artefacts, chemical materials and biological warheads from Iraq to a European country via Kuwait. Kuwaiti security sources told Reuters on Wednesday the report on the seizure of such weapons was baseless.
As any good security agency would, until told otherwise.
Asked about the report of seized biological warheads, al-Sabah also told al-Qabas newspaper: ’’Up to now we have not verified this...There are some artefacts that were seized which we are examining to see if they are real or fake.’’
That’s not a yes, but it’s not a no, either.
Iraqi authorities estimate more than 10,000 artefacts are still missing from the Iraqi National Museum, including antiquities from the world’s earliest civilisations.
These numbers change daily, your mileage may vary.
The museum was looted in April before, during and after the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein. More than 400 items were also seized by Jordanian customs authorities at the border with Iraq. ’’We are now going to present those (artefacts) to experts and specialists to check their authenticity. Other items have also been seized which we will examine and announce (the findings) soon,’’ added al-Sabah.
He’s got this evasive political speech down pat.
Al-Sabah’s remarks were made to reporters late on Wednesday after talks with Iraq’s new interior minister Nouri Badran. Badran, who discussed bilateral security issues with al-Sabah, was quoted as saying that many infiltrators into Iraq have been arrested recently, including Saudis and Syrians.
That’s nice. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what turns up. If somebody was trying to sell something they claimed to be chemical or bio weapons material, they’ll be checking very carefully to confirm or deny what it is before they make any more statements.
Posted by:Steve

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