Matthew Bogdanos

During his first tour in Iraq in 2003, and acting largely on his own initiative, Matthew Bogdanos led the investigation into the April 2003 looting of the National Museum of Iraq. As of early 2007, almost 6000 stolen antiquities had been recovered in eight countries. Exposing the link between the trafficking in stolen antiquities and terrorist financing, he has delivered speeches in a dozen countries throughout the world in venues ranging from universities and museums to law-enforcement agencies, Interpol, and members of both houses of the British Parliament. He urges a more active role for international organizations, private foundations, governments, and the art community in combating what he calls the global criminal enterprise that is pillaging the world’s cultural heritage.