By Rick Mendenhall
This week the Obama administration upped
the ante in the battle against ISIS, but on the Turkish-Syria border a
different type of struggle against ISIS is taking place: one for Syria’s
ancient artifacts.
A group of modern day Indiana Joneses have gathered—academics
(possibly fedora-adorned)—tasking themselves with protecting relics and
archeological sites from looters, civilians, and ISIS.
Their
quest, moreover, is not just an idle adventure of cognescentes—the illegal
trade in Syria’s cultural goods is ISIS’s second highest revenue source (after
oil).
That said, these scholars are not working outside the
framework of international law. A rich tradition of art protection has evolved
since World War II. This Wednesday February 18, the American Society of
International law is hosting a symposium
on that very topic—international royalty rights, looting prevention, and repatriation
procedures. Please join them for a stimulating discussion.
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