Culture Ministry officials deny arrest warrant for general director

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Two undersecretaries of state in the Iraqi Ministry of Culture on Saturday denied that an arrest warrant had been issued for a general director in the ministry for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of Iraqi antiquities. The semi-official al-Iraqiya TV channel quoted Fawzi al-Atroushi as dismissing the news as false. Earlier today, the channel said that an arrest warrant has been issued for a general director in the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Aqil al-Mandalawi, for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of Iraqi antiquities. Two weeks ago, a spokesperson for the Ministry of State for Tourism and Antiquities, Abdelzahra al-Talqani, told IraqiNews.com news agency that around 15,400 pieces of antiquities have been stolen from the Iraqi museum, of which only 6,000 were restored. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 3,000 to 7,000 pieces are still missing, including 40 to 50 priceless items. SS (P) 1