Assad Loyalist Support for HR 1493 Should Raise Serious Questions

Franklin Lamb, an unapologetic supporter of Hezbollah and the odious Assad regime, has written an op-ed supporting HR 1493, a bill that purports to offer protection for international cultural property due to political instability, armed conflict or natural and other disasters.  And no wonder.  While offering some improvements from its predecessor, HR 5703, that failed to pass last term, the new bill retains many of its defects.  Most notably, these include authorizing repatriation of such Syrian artifacts that may be seized by US Customs back to the same government whose military likely looted Apamea and Palmyra and most certainly has unmercifully bombed and shelled the old city of Aleppo and early Sunni religious sites into dust.   Hopefully, these and other serious problems that remain can be addressed as the legislative process unfolds.