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Opinion Smithsonian, other agencies protect artifacts in Iraq, Syria

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Columnist
August 19, 2016 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
In March 2015, the Department of Homeland Security returned more than 60 artifacts to Iraq that had been smuggled to the United States. They included this statue of the head of Assyrian King Sargon II. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Homeland Security Investigations)

When we think of the war against Islamic State terrorists, the Defense Department, the State Department and the intelligence agencies come to mind.

We should add the Smithsonian Institution to the list.

The Smithsonian, better known for museums ringing the Mall, is one of a half-dozen agencies cited in a Government Accountability Office report on the “Protection of Iraqi and Syrian Antiquities.” Smithsonian experts provide cultural property protection training in countries facing war or natural disasters.