Antiquities security

Severing Jihadists’ Revenue Sources Should Be Top Military Priority, NCPA Says

A doctrinal change in how military strategy accounts for cultural heritage will help diminish an important funding stream that terrorist groups need to fund operations against American forces, and will improve the image of embedded US forces and discourage cultural infighting in their area of responsibility, according to a new report by National Center for Policy Analysis Senior (NCPA) Fellow David Grantham.

Stopping the illegal antiquities trade and protecting movable cultural heritage in conflict regions should be one of the United States’ military’s top priorities, according to the report.

“Since money earned from the sale of antiquities directly finances the very organizations pitted against US armed forces,” Grantham said, adding “all relevant military assets and legal procedures should be used as tools for interaction and preservation.”