tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3638837144278661276.post-9874390181966579052007-10-14T18:04:00.000-04:002007-10-14T18:04:00.000-04:002007-10-14T18:04:00.000-04:00Mr. Sayles, <BR/><BR/>If I understand you correctly, you are saying that as long as crimes are being committed, having laws against them are not the solution and are unnecessary. Or, are you saying as long as there are some successful arrests, laws against these crimes are no longer the solution and and are unnecessary? Or, are you saying that as long as crimes are committed in foreign countries we (Americans) should play no role in helping to stop them even if we had signed an Agreement, such as UNESCO and we should ignore requests from foreign governments to help regulate the flow of illicit material into our own country? You said that "import restrictions are not the solution. Effective laws and law enforcement are." Since import restrictions have been made into US law with CPIA, are you saying that CPIA specifically is not effective? If so, do you have any statistics and facts to share with us, showing that in countries with which we have signed agreements, looting has not been diminished (the whole purpose of the law, I assume you'd agree) as a result of the import restrictions? I ask because it seems to me that if indeed CPIA has not been at all effective, then why would these countries continue to seek renewal of these bilateral agreements and why would the our government keep granting them? <BR/><BR/>Also, if we agree that countries should make progress in enforcing their own laws by arresting and prosecuting looters and smugglers, is it not reasonable these countries would seek import restrictions on ancient and archaeologically significant objects that are illegally exported in order to deter would-be looters and smugglers and assist that country in recovering illicitly exported material? Is it unreasonable for our nation, as a significant importer of illicitly exported cultural goods, to make efforts to stop such material, the transportation and excavation of which has already violated that sovereign nation's law, from entering the U.S.? Would our government not expect foreign nation's to respect our own requests to protect our cultural patrimony or to refuse anything else that is being exported from our borders illegally?<BR/><BR/>If I misread your response to my post I apologize in advance, but please do clarify for our readers.<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>NathanNathan T. Elkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060145336179440359noreply@blogger.com