Iraq recovers historical artifacts stolen during the US invasion

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said more than 18,000 historical artifacts smuggled out of the country illegally have been returned to Iraq.

Foreign Minister Hussein spoke at the opening of the 6th Ancient Civilizations Forum held in the capital Baghdad. Stating that Iraqi civilizations were exposed to various threats in the past, Hüseyin said: “Terror has something to do with the destruction of the monuments of civilization. However, these acts of terrorism cannot destroy history,” he said.

Emphasizing that the Iraqi government is making efforts to stop sabotage against historical artifacts and hope to strengthen bilateral cooperation for the return of stolen artifacts, Hüseyin said that more than 18,000 historical artifacts smuggled from Iraq have been returned to the country.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister did not share information about when and where the returned artifacts were taken.

During the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, many museums in different provinces of the country, especially in Baghdad, were looted. (AA)