Iraq antiquities: should we turn a blind eye?

Last week my PR Newswire briefing suggested: "The international community needs to monitor the sale of antiquities that could have been pillaged from archaeological museums or sites in Iraq."

Archaeologists, museum curators, collectors and members of the general public are concerned that items that have been stolen from archaeological museums in Iraq should find their way back to the collections. They are also keen to identify pieces that could have been removed from archaeological sites by illicit means.

So should we monitor sales, auction sites, and dealers for signs of such material?

Most civilised individuals would say yes.

Or should we turn a blind eye as some in the pro-collecting lobby suggest?