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Alleged Looting In Iraq By Americans
Aired April 23, 2003 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN: First the outcry. Now a criminal charge. Some of Iraq's looted treasure has apparently turned up in the U.S. And an American television network employee, specifically Fox News, is charged in the case.
Justice Department correspondent, Kelli Arena, is following the story, and she's here with details. I guess I should say former employee of Fox News -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Miles.
A little while ago, federal officials held a press conference where they displayed some of the items they say were taken from Iraq and confiscated by officials at U.S. airports.
Officials say that they confiscated a total of 15 paintings, a cache of gold-plated weapons, and some other items. Officials say that one of the intents was to try to sell them on the black market or take them home as souvenirs, it doesn't matter. It's a crime that will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORDON ENGLAND, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: If a few people returning from Iraq intend to take advantage of the fog of war to steal from the Iraqi people, we intend to shine the light of day on their actions.
We will not tolerate the undignified and unprofessional actions of a few to taint the otherwise good and important work that has been accomplished thus far.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: As you said, so far there's been just one criminal charge filed against a man named Benjamin James Johnson. He allegedly smuggled 12 stolen Iraqi paintings and 40 Iraqi bonds. Customs agents impounded the articles at Dulles International Airport. That's right here near Washington, D.C.
Johnson, who is 27 years old, was an engineer at Fox News channel. According to court documents, he had gone along with the U.S. military as they went through one of the former residences of Saddam Hussein's son Uday.
A Fox News spokesperson says he has since been fired.
Officials say that there were three other seizures at Dulles Airport involving media personal, and we know of one other at Boston's Logan Airport.
A reporter from the "Boston Herald," brought back a painting and other items from Iraq. Jules Crittenden told agents that he found the painting on the grounds of one of Saddam Hussein's palaces. He has not been charged.
A member of the military is also being investigated for allegedly trying to send gold-plated AK-47s to an Army base in Georgia. Those were confiscated at Heathrow Airport in London. Miles, back to you.
O'BRIEN: Kelli, just to be clear that we're not talking about any of the antiquities that disappeared from the museum. We are talking about items that would have been in some of those palaces which we've heard so much about. Right?
ARENA: That's right. Officials say that so far it doesn't look like any of these items that they have confiscated came from the museum in Baghdad. However, they said there's an ongoing effort to try to come up with an itinerary of all of the items that were stolen from the museum so that U.S. investigators will know what they are looking for.
O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, CNN's Kelli Arena in Washington. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 23, 2003 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN: First the outcry. Now a criminal charge. Some of Iraq's looted treasure has apparently turned up in the U.S. And an American television network employee, specifically Fox News, is charged in the case.
Justice Department correspondent, Kelli Arena, is following the story, and she's here with details. I guess I should say former employee of Fox News -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Miles.
A little while ago, federal officials held a press conference where they displayed some of the items they say were taken from Iraq and confiscated by officials at U.S. airports.
Officials say that they confiscated a total of 15 paintings, a cache of gold-plated weapons, and some other items. Officials say that one of the intents was to try to sell them on the black market or take them home as souvenirs, it doesn't matter. It's a crime that will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORDON ENGLAND, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: If a few people returning from Iraq intend to take advantage of the fog of war to steal from the Iraqi people, we intend to shine the light of day on their actions.
We will not tolerate the undignified and unprofessional actions of a few to taint the otherwise good and important work that has been accomplished thus far.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: As you said, so far there's been just one criminal charge filed against a man named Benjamin James Johnson. He allegedly smuggled 12 stolen Iraqi paintings and 40 Iraqi bonds. Customs agents impounded the articles at Dulles International Airport. That's right here near Washington, D.C.
Johnson, who is 27 years old, was an engineer at Fox News channel. According to court documents, he had gone along with the U.S. military as they went through one of the former residences of Saddam Hussein's son Uday.
A Fox News spokesperson says he has since been fired.
Officials say that there were three other seizures at Dulles Airport involving media personal, and we know of one other at Boston's Logan Airport.
A reporter from the "Boston Herald," brought back a painting and other items from Iraq. Jules Crittenden told agents that he found the painting on the grounds of one of Saddam Hussein's palaces. He has not been charged.
A member of the military is also being investigated for allegedly trying to send gold-plated AK-47s to an Army base in Georgia. Those were confiscated at Heathrow Airport in London. Miles, back to you.
O'BRIEN: Kelli, just to be clear that we're not talking about any of the antiquities that disappeared from the museum. We are talking about items that would have been in some of those palaces which we've heard so much about. Right?
ARENA: That's right. Officials say that so far it doesn't look like any of these items that they have confiscated came from the museum in Baghdad. However, they said there's an ongoing effort to try to come up with an itinerary of all of the items that were stolen from the museum so that U.S. investigators will know what they are looking for.
O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, CNN's Kelli Arena in Washington. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
