Antiquities in Iraq: Cultural Heritage and Iraq's Future

Ever since the U.S. invasion in March 2003, Iraq's cultural heritage—stretching back to ancient Mesopotamia and the golden age of Islam—has been at risk. Many precious artifacts have been stolen. Despite some improvement, to this day archeological sites are poorly protected and are still being plundered.

What happened to Iraq's antiquities in 2003 and what has happened since then? What should the U.S., Iraqis, and the international community do to protect Iraq's antiquities going forward? What can we learn from the Iraq experience to protect antiquities in conflict zones in the future? A distinguished panel will address these issues and take your questions.

Agenda

Speakers

Matthew Bogdanos
Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps and author of Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine's Passion to Recover the World's Greatest Stolen Treasures (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005)
Michael Dziedzic
Senior Program Officer, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, United States Institute of Peace
Lawrence Rothfield
Professor and Research Affiliate, Cultural Policy Center, University of Chicago
Donny George Youkhanna
Professor, Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, Stony Brook University (SUNY) and former Director General of the National Museum in Baghdad, 2003-2006
Daniel Serwer, Moderator
Vice President, Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, U.S. Institute of Peace