U.S. Customs Seizes Stolen Iraqi Paintings, Weapons

NPR | By Eric Niiler

Published April 24, 2003 at 12:00 AM EDT

U.S. officials say several members of the media and a U.S. serviceman have attempted to ship items from Iraq, including portraits of Saddam Hussein's family and gilded weapons, back to the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement says postwar souvenir-hunting is considered theft and illegal under U.S. law. Hear NPR's Eric Niiler.

Eric Niiler

Eric Niiler reports for NPR's national desk. His work can be heard on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and other NPR newsmagazines. Before moving to his current post, Niiler was a reporter for NPR's Day to Day program, and also filed pieces for NPR's national and science desks.

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