tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3279887958085077691.post2942737056142883856..comments2024-02-22T10:35:12.485-08:00Comments on Cultural Property Observer: Jordanian MOU Backstory: A Window into How MOU's are OrchestratedCultural Property Observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05924359202414555962noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3279887958085077691.post-76848263105139384672020-02-12T08:34:21.183-08:002020-02-12T08:34:21.183-08:00Oddly, the cited press release fails to mention th...Oddly, the cited press release fails to mention the involvement of the Antiquities Coalition, a well-funded and politically connected archaeological advocacy group. See Antiquities Coalition’s #CultureUnderThreat Conference, The Antiquities Coalition (September 12, 2016) available at https://theantiquitiescoalition.org/antiquities-coalitions-cultureunderthreat-conference/ (last visited Feb. 12, 2020). Recently, information has come to light that raises the question whether these advocacy efforts have been leveraged to benefit the Antiquities Coalition’s founder’s for profit business. See https://www.basilinna.com/insights/press-release-edelman-and-basilinna-partner-to-offer-integrated-china-and-middle-east-focused-public-affairs-and-communications-services (last visited Feb. 12, 2020). Moreover, it should be noted that the Antiquities Coalition 990 for 2017 indicates that the Coalition has received U.S. Government funding to support State Department efforts to close the U.S. border to “illicit antiquities” from MENA countries. From various sources, it appears that that the Coalition maintains that any undocumented antiquity is also “illicit.” Therefore, in addition to advocating for the U.S. State Department imposition of import restrictions, the Coalition receives U.S. government funding for publicizing such import restrictions to the public. Cultural Property Observerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05924359202414555962noreply@blogger.com