Posted on 08/09/2003 1:16:35 PM PDT by yonif
The author of a book on rebuilding Iraq was arrested at Kennedy International Airport for allegedly smuggling stolen 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian artifacts out of Baghdad, authorities said Saturday.
Joseph Braude, author of "The New Iraq," was released on a $100,000 bond after a preliminary appearance Saturday before U.S. Magistrate Roanne L. Mann at the Brooklyn federal courthouse.
Braude, 28, was arrested Friday night after arriving at the Queens airport on a flight from London, said U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf. Braude actually brought the priceless stolen artifacts into the United States on June 11, she said.
Braude bought the three ancient pieces of art for $200 during a visit to Baghdad that month, authorities said.
"These items are not souvenirs, but stolen goods that belong to the people of Iraq," said Martin Ficke, special agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in New York.
Thousands of irreplaceable treasures were stolen by looters from the Iraqi national museum during the war, with only a fraction recovered so far.
According to authorities, Braude flew into Kennedy in June and the artifacts were discovered during a routine customs check. One of his suitcases contained three cylindrical stone seals, made of marble and alabaster; Braude allegedly had not declared any of the items.
The seals, adorned with human and animal figures, were all marked on the bottom with the letters "IM" and a serial number, authorities said. Braude insisted he had traveled to Kuwait and England, but not Iraq, Mauskopf said.
A Columbia University professor, called in to examine the seals, determined they were Mesopotamian Cylindrical Seals of the Akkadian period, dating back to 2340-2180 B.C. They were apparently swiped from the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad, authorities said.
Officials questioned Braude at his Cambridge, Mass., home on June 18, when he admitted visiting Baghdad and purchasing the seals, Mauskopf said. He acknowledged knowing when he bought the seals that they were likely stolen from the museum, she said.
Braude's book, subtitled "Rebuilding the Country for its People, the Middle East and the World," was released in March. His area of expertise landed him on the "Today" show, and he was widely quoted about Iraq's future.
Braude, a senior analyst with Pyramid Research, has a masters degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Princeton. He works as a business consultant to governments and corporations in the Middle East.
Braude faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of smuggling the artifacts. He did not immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment; calls to Pyramid Research were not answered on Saturday.
Meg, come on. You ain't been on a turnip truck in a long time. You know "facts" aren't important to the libbers when they can take a swipe at GW. LOL.
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