Crisis in the Red Sea; The Looting of Cambodia | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

Summary

The US Navy faces its most intense combat since WWII against Yemen's Houthi militia disrupting global trade in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, 60 Minutes investigates the theft of Cambodia's cultural heritage, revealing looted artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the quest to return them. The episode also covers the aftermath of Hamas's attack in Israel and the Biden administration's response to Iran's involvement.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Global trade has been significantly disrupted in the Red Sea due to attacks by the Houthi militia from Yemen, prompting a response from the US Navy.
• 🏹 The last time the US Navy operated at such a high pace for an extended period was during World War II, highlighting the severity of the current situation.
• 🛡️ The US Navy's engagement in the Red Sea is part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a coalition effort to maintain the flow of global trade and ensure safe navigation.
• 💣 The Houthi attacks have led to major container ship companies avoiding the Suez Canal, opting to go around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, increasing travel time and costs.
• 🚢 The US Navy has been actively defending against Houthi attacks, shooting down over 150 drones and missiles, demonstrating a high level of engagement.
• 🔍 '60 Minutes' has been investigating the theft of Cambodia's cultural heritage, revealing a network of looting and illegal trade of artifacts.
• 🗿 The looting has left numerous religious sites in Cambodia desecrated, with thousands of artifacts stolen and sold to private collectors and museums worldwide.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Douglas Latchford, a British businessman, has been identified as a central figure in the illicit trade of Cambodian artifacts, with his actions spanning decades.
• 📚 Latchford's published books, filled with images of stolen artifacts, have inadvertently provided a roadmap for investigators to track down and recover lost treasures.
• 🤝 The cooperation of former looters, like 'Lion', has been crucial in providing detailed accounts of the looting process and the locations of stolen artifacts.
• 🏛️ Major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, are now facing scrutiny for their acquisition of artifacts that were looted from Cambodia.

Q & A

What is the current situation with global trade in the Red Sea due to the Houthi militia?

Global trade has been severely disrupted in the Red Sea by the Houthi militia, a dangerous group in Yemen. The US Navy is actively trying to stop them, engaging in combat and protecting commercial ships, similar to the pace seen during World War II.

What is the significance of the Red Sea in global trade?

The Red Sea is one of the most important waterways in the world as it is responsible for 15% of global trade, serving as the primary sea route between Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal.

How has the Houthi militia's attacks affected the shipping industry?

The attacks have led to the world's largest container ship companies avoiding the Suez Canal and opting to go around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, adding significant travel time and costs.

What is the US Navy's response to the Houthi militia's attacks?

The US Navy, under Operation Prosperity Guardian, has been actively engaging with the Houthi militia, shooting down more than 150 drones and missiles, and deploying about 7,000 sailors in the Red Sea.

What are the Houthi militia's tactics and weapons?

The Houthi militia uses anti-ship ballistic missiles and Iranian designed attack drones. They are the first entity to use anti-ship ballistic missiles against commercial shipping.

How has the conflict impacted the global economy?

The diversion of shipping routes poses a risk to the global economy, affecting supply chains and causing companies like Tesla to suspend some European production due to disruptions.

What is the history of the theft of Cambodia's cultural heritage?

The theft of Cambodia's cultural heritage began nearly a century ago during colonization by France and intensified during the 1970s.

Outlines

00:00

🚢 US Navy Confronts Militia in the Red Sea

The US Navy is engaged in a high-stakes operation in the Red Sea against a Yemeni militia, reminiscent of the intensity seen during World War II. The Houthis, a Shia militia, have been attacking commercial ships, prompting the US to deploy its forces to protect global trade routes. This has led to direct combat situations, with the Navy shooting down over 150 drones and missiles. The conflict is causing significant disruptions to global trade, with major shipping companies opting to circumvent the Suez Canal to avoid the dangerous Red Sea, incurring additional costs and delays. The US Navy's mission is to ensure the free flow of commerce and strategic control over these critical waterways.

05:01

🛡️ Operation Prosperity Guardian: US Navy's Red Sea Defense

A coalition of over 20 nations, led by the United States, is conducting Operation Prosperity Guardian to safeguard the southern Red Sea from Houthi attacks. Despite the threat, smaller regional carriers continue to navigate the area. The US Navy's presence is credited with maintaining some level of traffic, though it has been reduced by as much as 40%. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have expanded their targets beyond Israeli-linked vessels to those from multiple nations. The US Navy's engagement has been reminiscent of World War II combat operations, with ships actively exchanging fire. The US military is also conducting airstrikes against Houthi launch sites in Yemen and has reportedly conducted a cyberattack against an Iranian spy ship.

10:02

🏛️ The Looting and Recovery of Cambodia's Cultural Heritage

Cambodia has been victim to one of the most significant art thefts in history, with thousands of sacred artifacts stolen from its religious sites. The thefts have been orchestrated by Douglas Latchford, a British man who exploited Cambodia's political instability to amass a collection that he sold to private collectors and prestigious museums worldwide. The Cambodian government, with the help of American lawyer Brad Gordon, has been working to recover these stolen treasures. The US has been investigating Latchford's activities, leading to the return of some artifacts. However, many remain in the possession of wealthy individuals and institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which houses some of the most important Cambodian antiquities, some of which are confirmed to be stolen.

15:04

🗿 The Sacred and Stolen: Cambodia's Struggle to Reclaim Its Artifacts

The theft of Cambodia's cultural treasures has left deep scars across the nation's religious sites. Statues have been decapitated, and entire bodies removed, leaving only empty pedestals behind. The Cambodian government's efforts, led by Minister of Culture Phoeung Sak, aim to reconnect with the souls of their ancestors by recovering these sacred artifacts. The journey to reclaim these pieces is not only a legal battle but also an emotional and spiritual quest for the nation. The return of these artifacts is seen as a means to restore the soul of the nation, healing a part of its history that was violently disrupted.

20:05

🕵️‍♂️ The Pursuit of Looted Antiquities: Douglas Latchford's Network

Douglas Latchford, a British businessman, built a reputation as a scholar and protector of Cambodian culture while secretly orchestrating the looting and smuggling of its antiquities. Posing as a benefactor, Latchford donated artifacts to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other institutions, using his publications to legitimize stolen goods. His operation was exposed by former looters, whose testimonies and Latchford's own books provided evidence of his illicit activities. The US legal system has been working to hold Latchford accountable, though he died before trial. His personal collection has started to be returned to Cambodia, but many pieces remain in the hands of private collectors and museums.

25:05

🛑 The Return of the COC Warrior: A Symbol of Reclamation

A significant step in Cambodia's cultural recovery came with the return of a 500 lb Sandstone Warrior from the COC temple complex, which had been attempted to be sold by Sotheby's for $2 to 3 million. The statue's recovery was a result of collaboration between US law enforcement and Cambodian investigators. Its return was celebrated in Cambodia, symbolizing the nation's determination to reclaim its stolen heritage. The statue's feet, hacked off by looters, have been reunited with the rest of the sculpture, now back on its original pedestal at the National Museum.

30:09

🏛️ Museums and the Morality of Antiquities: The Met's Dilemma

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other institutions, faces scrutiny for their role in acquiring and displaying Cambodian artifacts that were looted during times of conflict. Despite the museum's claim of conducting rigorous provenance reviews, critics argue that not enough was done to verify the legitimacy of the artifacts. The Met has returned some items and is under pressure to account for its entire collection of Cambodian antiquities, many of which are believed to have been acquired through Latchford's illicit network.

35:09

🏡 The Lindaman Collection: A Repository of Stolen Relics

The Lindaman family's collection of Cambodian antiquities, amassed with the help of Douglas Latchford, was discovered in their Palm Beach mansion, featuring in Architectural Digest. The revelation led to the identification of numerous stolen artifacts, including a statue of the Hindu god Vishnu. The Lindaman family has since agreed to return 33 stolen relics to Cambodia, highlighting the broader issue of looted art in private collections and the moral responsibility of collectors and institutions.

40:10

🛫 The Journey Home: Repatriation of Cambodia's Cultural Treasures

The repatriation of Cambodia's cultural treasures is an ongoing and complex process. The return of significant artifacts like the mythical Army Commander and the Hindu god Vishnu from the Lindaman collection is a testament to Cambodia's persistent efforts to reclaim its heritage. The emotional and cultural impact of these returns is profound, as seen in the reactions of the Cambodian investigators who are the first to witness these artifacts since their theft. The process is not just about the physical recovery of objects but also about restoring a nation's identity and history.

Keywords

💡Global Trade

Global trade refers to the exchange of goods and services across international borders. In the video, it is depicted as being severely disrupted in the Red Sea by the actions of a Yemeni militia, highlighting its importance to the world economy and the impact of regional conflicts on international commerce.

💡US Navy

The US Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces, responsible for conducting military operations at sea. The script discusses the US Navy's engagement in combat operations in the Red Sea, indicating a return to a level of activity reminiscent of World War II.

💡Houthi Militia

The Houthi militia

Highlights

Global trade severely disrupted in the Red Sea by a dangerous militia in Yemen, prompting US Navy intervention.

US Navy's current pace of operation is comparable to World War II levels, with ships engaged in active combat.

60 Minutes investigates the theft of Cambodia's cultural heritage, thousands of artifacts looted from religious sites.

Some looted Cambodian treasures discovered on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, raising questions about their origins.

Yemen's strategic coastline leads in and out of the Suez Canal, a critical route for global trade.

The US Navy's 7,000 sailors commitment in the Red Sea to maintain the flow of global trade.

Houthi attacks on commercial ships in solidarity with Hamas, escalating the crisis in the Red Sea.

World's largest container ship companies avoid the Suez Canal due to attacks, adding to travel time and costs.

Operation Prosperity Guardian, a coalition of over 20 nations, led by the US, to protect the Red Sea.

Houthi's use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against commercial shipping, a historically unprecedented tactic.

US Navy ships and aircraft actively defending against Houthi attacks, disrupting their capabilities.

Iran's support and supply of the Houthi militia, including sophisticated weaponry and targeting information.

Cambodia's efforts to track down and repatriate its stolen cultural artifacts, many sold to prestigious museums.

Douglas Latchford identified as the mastermind behind the looting and selling of Cambodian antiquities.

Former looter 'Lion' provides critical testimony, aiding in the recovery of stolen artifacts.

The Met's possession of Cambodian artifacts with questionable provenance, some directly linked to Latchford.

Cambodia's cultural heritage continues to be a point of contention, with many artifacts still abroad.

Transcripts

global trade has been severely disrupted

in the Red

Sea by a dangerous militia in

Yemen who the US Navy is trying to stop

when was the last time that the US Navy

operated at this pace for a couple

months I think you'd have to go back to

World War II where you have ships who

are engaged in combat when I say

engagement combat where they're getting

shot at we're getting shot at and we're

shooting

back for a year 60 Minutes has been

investigating the theft of cambodia's

cultural heritage thousands of sacred

stone bronze and gold artifacts from

religious sites across the country

leaving empty pedestals where gods and

deities once stood we found some of them

on display at the Metropolitan Museum of

art how did these looted Treasures get

here and will they ever be returned we

are on the verge of of of returning a

number of them all of

them that I can't

say I'm Leslie stall I'm Bill Whitaker

I'm Anderson Cooper I'm Sharon alansy

I'm John wory I'm Cecilia Vega I'm Nora

odonnell I'm Scott Pell those stories

tonight on 60 Minutes

after Hamas launched its deadly

terrorist attack in Israel this past

October and Israel began its unrelenting

war in Gaza in response President Biden

warned Iran and its proxies in the

Middle East to stay out of it one of

those groups decided instead that it was

all in that group is a Shia militia from

Yemen known as the houthis Yemen is the

poorest country in the Middle East but

its 1,200 miles of Coastline leads in

and out of the Suz Canal the primary

route by sea between Europe and Asia

responsible for a trillion dollars a

year in global trade as we first

reported in February when the houthis

began to attack commercial ships in

solidarity with Hamas President Biden

faced a crisis in the Red Sea and sent

the US Navy into its first major fight

of the 21st

century yeah the left turn back around

our report begins not on the water but

in the

air where from a US Navy reconnaissance

plane 500 ft above the Red Sea we saw

the types of commercial ships the

houthis have targeted and the US

warships sent to protect them 6 we are

not going to let the hoodies hold this

straight hostage vice admiral Brad

Cooper is the US military's Deputy

commander in the Middle

East after October 7th as the Navy's top

officer in the region he ordered the

fifth Fleet into an area it typically

sailed right through how many sailors

are now in the Red Sea yeah we've got

about 7,000 uh right now so it's a it's

a large commitment what makes the Red

Sea one of the most important waterways

in the world World 15% of global trade

flows exactly through the Red Sea and so

keeping these wild waterways open is

critical it's a core commitment the

United States has from a strategic

perspective maintaining the free flow of

Commerce the Red Sea is about the size

of California in the north the Suez

Canal in the South the 20 M wide

straight known in Arabic as the Babel MB

or in English as the Gate of grief

it was near there 7 months ago that a

Japanese chartered ship built to carry

cars was hijacked by the houthis who

posted this video since then according

to the Pentagon the houthis have

launched more than 100 attacks and the

US Navy has shot down more than 150

drones and missiles fired by the militia

that controls onethird of Yemen

including the capital SAA as houthi

attacks intensified in December and J

January the world's largest container

ship companies all made the decision to

avoid the Suz and go around Africa's

Cape of Good Hope adding as much as a

month of travel time and a million

dollars in fuel I think Europe US

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell told

60 Minutes in February the diversions

pose a risk to the global economy and in

the near term that's going to affect

Europe much more than it's going to

affect

us Tesla andol were both forced to

suspend some European production in

January due to supply chain disruptions

there are still ships going through the

Suz mostly smaller regional carriers

that are willing to run the current

risks of the Red Sea how much has that

in terms of that traffic has it been

reduced by half it's been reduced um on

any given day sometimes 40% but it's

clearly flowing and I think in many

respects it's flowing because of the

defensive umbrella that we put over the

southern Red Sea for

sure the official name of that defensive

umbrella is Operation Prosperity

Guardian it's a coalition of more than

20 Nations that includes the United

Kingdom but most of the ships aircraft

and

Firepower are coming from

America when was the last time that the

US Navy operated at this pace for a

couple months I think you'd have to go

back to World War II where you have

ships who are engaged in combat when I

say engaged in combat where they're

getting shot at we're getting shot at

and we're shooting

back initially the houthis backed by

Iran stated they would only shoot at

ships linked to

Israel in support of the Palestinian

people and to force a ceasefire in

Gaza their ultimate political aims as as

well as their actual aim appears to be

less precise they have fired at ships

tied to dozens of

Nations the houthi official motto is God

is great death to America death to

Israel a curse upon the Jews Victory to

Islam while their slogan may not be

new their weapons and tactics are

according to Admiral

Cooper the houthis are the first entity

in the history of the world to use anti-

ship ballistic missiles ever firing

against shipping no one has ever used no

one has ever used an anti- ship

ballistic missile certainly against

commercial shipping much less against US

Navy ships Admiral Cooper took us inside

the fifth fleet's Command Center at

Naval headquarters in Bahrain I think

there's a sense that the houthis are

sort of like a rag tag kind of terrorist

group yeah yeah yeah that can be a sense

and it'll be a false sense and we we

would be unwise to consider that you

know 10 years of being supplied uh by

the Iranians very sophisticated Advanced

weapons they have hit a few ships all of

those targets how many of them are

directed at US Naval assets the

overwhelming majority over these last

couple months have been directed at um

internationally flag Merchant ships a

small percentage of them are directly at

US Navy ships what kind of damage would

one of those anti-ship ballistic

missiles do on a commercial ship well

let's go right here this is exactly what

it looks like the houthis attacked it

and you can see in Practical terms what

the damage

was the houthis also have inexpensive

Iranian designed attack drones in their

Arsenal like the 15t wide Samad with a

range of up to 1100 mil some of their

anti-ship ballistic missiles resemble

the Iranian weapons seen here and can

hit targets up to about 300 mil away if

there is an anti- ship ballistic missile

launch this ballistic missile travels at

about Mach 5 about 3,000 mph how much

time is there between a houthi launch

and then it could reach a US ship if

it's coming toward them now just put

yourself in the seat of the Destroyer

captain on that ship he has about 9 to

15 seconds to make a decision they're

going to shoot that down it's

intense to speak to one of those

Destroyer captains deployed in the

southern Red Sea we took a 5 Mile

helicopter ride from the USS Dwight D

Eisenhower over to the USS Mason

where we met Commander Justin Smith the

Destroyer is one of four American

warships in the area that have shot down

20 of the houthi anti-ship ballistic

missiles how quickly can you see those

anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes out and

providing me that decision space to give

me the 9 to 15 seconds as the captain of

this ship on what my actions are going

to be you made it sound like that's a

lot of time 9 to 15 seconds doesn't

sound like much seems very small in very

short in duration uh but my crew has

that ready proficiency to be able to

engage we learn that so far the Navy has

fired more than 100 of their standard

surface to a missiles that can cost as

much as $4 million each rer over the

decision to fire wanted an incoming hthy

missile or kamakazi attack drone is made

in the ship's combat information center

or

cic we can be attacked at any time and

any place that's where Commander Smith

showed us a video of the USS Mason doing

just that you see an intercept here

Follow by a quick

explosion showing a successful

engagement the weapon systems that you

have on board here and specifically the

standard missiles those are expensive

weapons and you're using them to shoot

down

$10,000 drones is that worth it I don't

think you put a price tag on safety and

the defense of our Sailors on board you

have to be right 100% of the time they

just have to get right once we at 27

knots to close a day before our visit to

the USS Mason about 100 Mil away another

US Destroyer needed its weapon of Last

Resort a defensive Cannon called a Sea

Whiz to shoot down a hothy cruise

missile that was a mile out and closing

fast

most us warships have one of these gun

systems seen here in

exercises the USS Dwight de Eisenhower

has

two on that ship with its 5,000 Sailors

and more than 75

aircraft strike group Commander rear

Admiral Mark migz told us the houthis

have proven to be resourceful

adversaries there are the

intelligence surveillance and

reconnaissance drones that the houthis

are launching how have you seen them use

when we first got to this this uh area

that uh we would detect the Drone and

then all of a sudden you know 10 minutes

later or 5 minutes later there was an

attack in other words a ballistic

missile being launched uh or a cruise

missile being launched and we've deduced

over time that they are obviously using

these drones to perfect their targeting

solution since the war in Israel and

Gaza began other Iranian backed militias

have targeted US forces in Jordan Iraq

and Syria with at least

175 attacks that injured 183 service

members and killed

three Admiral migz told us so far the

USS Eisenhower has only been focused on

the houthis in the southern Red Sea

since January 11th its planes have been

regularly striking their launch SS in

Yemen as have US

destroyers the US also conducted a Cyber

attack on an Iranian spy ship that was

gathering intelligence in and around the

Red Sea but the houthi attacks keep

coming could the houthis do this without

Iranian support no for a decade the

Iranians have been supplying the houthis

they've been resupplying them they're

resupplying them as we sit here right

now uh at see we know this is happening

they're advising them and they're

providing targeting information this is

Crystal Clear are there members of

Iran's Elite revolutionary guard Corps

that are actually on the ground in Yemen

providing intelligence and targeting the

Iranian revolutionary guard Corps is

inside Yemen and they are serving side

by side uh with the houthis advising

them and providing targeted information

and so what have we done to degrade that

capability yeah that's that will

obviously end up being a policy decision

our role at this point is to simply be

ready and continue to be uh aggressive

in exercising our right to self-defense

do these offensive US air strikes

against these houy Targets in Yemen risk

escalating this conflict yeah I don't

think so we're targeting those platforms

that are targeting us if we were to look

at the calendar right since October 7th

the surging of US forces to the Red Sea

and yet they keep firing back they keep

seeming to be opportunistic in their

response is the US Navy the fifth Fleet

are the actions having an effect it's

very clear that we are degrading their

capability and every single day they

attempt to attack us we're eliminating

and disrupting them in ways that are

meaningful and I do believe an impact

how long does this go on well I have a

pretty clear uh endgame in mind and that

is the restoration of the free flow of

Commerce and safe navigation in the

southern Red

Sea four months after our report first

aired the houthis are still on the

attack in the Red Sea so far they have

sunk two cargo ships the second just

this past week overall shipping traffic

remains about half of what it was before

the attacks began

what's the secret weapon on the USS

Eisenhower morale is the most important

thing at 60 Minutes overtime.com

the theft of cambodia's cultural

Treasures thousands of sacred stone

bronze and gold artifacts from religious

sites across the country might just be

the greatest art heist in history it

began nearly a century ago when Cambodia

was colonized by France but in the 1970s

' 80s and 90s amidst genocide Civil War

and political turmoil the Looting became

a global business much of it run by a

British man named Douglas latchford he

kept some of it for himself but much of

what his gang of Thieves stole latchford

then sold to wealthy private collectors

and some of the most important museums

around the world as we first reported in

December cambodia's government has spent

the last last 10 years trying to track

it all down and bring their history and

Heritage

Home enor wat with its towering spires

is the glory of Cambodia nearly a

thousand years old it's one of the

biggest and most extraordinary religious

temples in the world sprawling across

400 Acres originally built to honor the

Hindu god Vishnu it then became a

Buddhist temple and remains a place of

worship today you can wander here from

for weeks lost in a Labyrinth of ancient

stone corridors and sacred Chambers but

the scars of plunder Run Deep lutters

have hacked off the heads of many

statues they've stolen bodies as well

empty pedestals Mark where gods and

deities once stood on some only the feet

remain it's worse in the rest of

cambodia's 4,000 temples nearly all had

been looted

this one is 100 miles Northeast of Anor

wat on a remote mountain called Sandu

this was hit very heavily by the Looting

gang they found gold they found statues

they found many many things that's Brad

Gordon an American lawyer who's been

working for the Cambodian government for

10 years tracking down its stolen

Treasures he brought us to sandok with

his team of investigators archaeologists

and art Scholars this is so cool in the

Temple's crumbling Courtyard little

remains mostly empty pedestals scattered

among the stolow trees it's remarkable

to me just how much stuff is just

scattered on the ground yes it's like a

pedestal graveyard we've all seen in

museums these statues with no feet on

them and I don't think people realize

the feet were hacked off because in

order to steal them that's the easiest

way to to get them off the pedestal and

we know when the looters came to sites

like this the first thing they took was

the heads that was the easiest to grab

and then later on maybe they come back

and get the Torso but they were not very

careful so they left behind

pieces for cambodians these statues are

not just works of art they are sacred

deities that hold the souls of their

ancestors to whom they ask for guidance

and pray this is incredible these were

all looted yes all LED all of these

heads head was cut off yes forong Sak

cambodia's minister of culture is in

charge of the government's efforts to

track down their stolen Gods we met her

in a closely guarded Warehouse not far

from Anor watad where more than 6,000

pieces from temples across the country

are stored for safekeeping each one

sculpted by an artisan from an ancient

Chim Empire that lasted for more than

five centuries and Spann Cambodia La

Thailand and Vietnam so the statues have

a soul the statues are are they living

of course yes and we believe that we can

talk with them they will hear they will

see what do you want what do you see

what do you do in your life in your

house outside in the society also

they're watching they watching

everywhere Fang Sak's entire family was

killed in the genocide that began in

1975 when the CH Rouge a radical

communist group took over forcing

millions of Cambodian into labor camps

some 2 million people nearly a quarter

of the population were slaughtered or

starved to death the CH Rouge lost power

in 1979 but fighting and instability

continued for decades leaving cambodia's

temples unprotected and vulnerable easy

targets for unscrupulous Antiquities

dealers like Douglas latchford who is

Douglas latchford I would say that he

was in many ways The Mastermind behind

the greatest art heist in history

the greatest art heist in history yes in

terms of scope and multitude of crime

sites and the enormous amount of statues

that were taken out latchford lived in

Thailand an enigmatic British

businessman he began collecting in the

1960s he had it seems two great loves

Cambodian Antiquities

and Tha bodybuilders sponsored bangkok's

biggest bodybuilding competition the

latchford classic how would you describe

him he was extremely deceptive I think

in many ways was

ruthless but he hid that behind this

incredible facade of charm latchford

portrayed himself as a scholar and

protector of cambodia's culture a

reputation he burnished by donating

sculptures the Metropolitan Museum of

Art in New York and other prestigious

institutions he also published three

books filled with the finest examples of

Cambodian Antiquities many of them it

turns out latchford had stolen he was

using the books as sales catalogs you

know he was handing them out he was

using them to sell pieces and and he

understood a certain psychology of

collectors out there that if they see

something in a beautiful book they think

it's legitimate you're doing the

transcript right now right those books

have been an invaluable guide for Brad

Gordon and his team helping them compile

a database of thousands of missing

artifacts many of which they didn't know

existed until latchford published photos

of them Gordon's team got their big

break when they met this man in 2012 he

was a former Chim rou Child Soldier and

leader of a gang of looters his name was

D duck that first meeting I I didn't

really know who we had met you know I

knew I knew that he was important um I

knew that many people were telling me he

was the best and I knew that he was

feared why were people afraid of him you

know over the years he had killed many

people turned out day duck had worked

for decades supplying Douglas latchford

with thousands of treasures and he was

amazed to see them again in latchfords

books he kept opening the book and going

back to the front cover and going

through and tapping and saying I know

this one I know this one I know this one

and when he says he knew this one means

he he helped loot those ones um that's

what we learn later yeah up gold day

duck became a key confidential source

for Gordon's team team they gave him a

code name lion to protect his identity

and followed him to dozens of temples

where he confessed what he'd found and

how he'd stolen it he would say to us

I'm going to transfer everything in my

head to you I'm going to tell you

everything every secret you felt like

his memory was very good it was accurate

it was unbelievable he remembered the

size of everything measured against his

body he would use his arm to show us how

long a statue was why do you think he

wanted to cooperate you know he felt

tremendously guilty

about many things he had done in his

life about the

killing about the Looting and we offered

him a road of redemption a way to do

something really good at the end of his

life they recorded hundreds of hours of

lion's testimony he explained how gangs

of lutters would spend weeks at remote

temples using shovels chisels metal

detectors even Dynam

to find and dig out Treasures dozens of

men would hoist heavy stone statues onto

Ox carts before transporting them across

the border into Thailand and into the

hands of Douglas lashford lion never met

lashford but he'd sent him photographs

of artifacts he could choose from we

hear about them saying Oh we had to go

to this Tempo and take a photo and then

sending it back you know my senses he

was shopping he had a list that lutters

knew his priorities like these which

came from a temple complex called COC

the statues from there had a distinctive

style that latchford

loved it was however a dangerous

business most lutters only made enough

to buy food for their families and

fighting between rival gangs was common

people were killed over these these

Antiquities do you look at these as

blood statues uh for sure they're blood

Antiquities whenever I see a statue I

think about you know who died to to get

this out of the ground or get it out of

a temple and to to move it here so so

much of this looting was done in the

shadow of the war shadow of the genocide

it was this 500 lb Sandstone Warrior

from COC that appeared in a soube

auction catalog in 2011 that put Douglas

latchford on the radar of US law

enforcement its feet were missing and

the price tag an estimated $2 to3

million when it appeared in the market

there were a number of archaeologists a

number of people who immediately

recognized the the source of the statue

as being a specific temple in Cambodia

it came from COC that's right until he

retired last September JP labat was a

special agent on the cultural property

art and Antiquities unit with Homeland

Security a team from the US attorney's

office at the southern district of New

York traveled to Cambodia um to inspect

the site where the statue had been

removed and so the base um was still

there with it with the feet still in the

ground and so um they were able to match

that base and feet to the Statue and

that was enough evidence to get the

statue pulled off the market that's

right after years of legal wrangling SES

finally agreed to send this stolen

Warrior back to

Cambodia a ceremony was held welcoming

at home and investigators were able to

trace its original sale back to Douglas

latchford who was asked about its

repatriation in a German documentary in

2014 is it a good day for Cambodia or is

it a bad day for the Art Market if these

things are coming back it's a good day

for Cambodia it's a bad day for the Art

Market law enforcement in New York was

closing in on latchford but he claimed

prosecutors had him all wrong their

imagination has gone

wild they've seen too many Indiana Jones

films

as far as I know there is no such thing

as a smuggling Network and I certainly

don't belong to any smuggling Network

the attempted sale of this statue in

2011 was that a turning point in the

unraveling of Douglas latchford I would

say yes that case put more of a a focus

and a spotlight on him and then efforts

were were then doubled to like really

peel back the onion and look into lford

activities uh

the testimony of former looters found by

Brad Gordon and his team was critical

for the US attorney's case against

lashford how rare is it to actually have

access to the looters to people who

actually stole these things 10 20 30

years ago I know of no other case where

where that's happened and U it's quite

remarkable to have looters actively

assisting a team of investigators to

recover artifacts that they had a

firsthand in helping remove from the

country Douglas latchford was finally

indicted by us authorities in 2019 for

smuggling conspiracy wire fraud and

other charges but he died before he

could be put on

trial Brad Gordon eventually convinced

latch's family to return his personal

collection of stolen

Treasures among the first pieces to come

home in 2021 was this statue from

COC lion weakened by cancer came to

inspect it in cambodia's National Museum

to verify it was the same one he dug out

of the ground and then he turned to me

and he said it's the real Statue you

know it was a remarkable thing to watch

and just his his relationship it it was

living to him do you think he was happy

was back

throut so happy he knew that he had done

something

good lion died a a few months later but

the secrets he revealed continue to

bring statues back to cambodia's

National Museum masterpieces that left

the country long before these school

children were born does the return of

these statues these Gods help some to

heal yes to get back the soul of the

nation the soul of the nation it's not

only for me but all for my family who

was died during the

war and fall for all Cambodian people

there are still many more stolen

Cambodian statues and artifacts in

museums and private collections around

the world when we return cambodia's

fight to get those looted relics

back it's taken a team of Cambodian

investigators led by Brad Gordon an

American lawyer more than 10 years to

document the theft of thousands of

ancient statues and Relics by a British

collector named Douglas latchford as we

reported last December they've managed

to get some of what he stole back but

many of cambodia's greatest treasures

are still out there hidden away in the

Mansions of millionaires and

billionaires and hiding in plain sight

on display in some of the most

prestigious museums around the

world the Metropolitan Museum of Art in

New York has one of the most important

collections of Cambodian Antiquities in

the world but many of the finest pieces

on display here in the Southeast Asian

art wi are stolen like this one and this

one this as well all passed through the

hands of Douglas latchford lashford sold

this one to the met in the early 1990s

this one he donated do you think people

visiting the Met know that these were

looted I think most people walk through

the M they have no idea those are blood

Antiquities they have no idea what what

the history is behind those pieces they

don't know uh the temples they came from

they don't know the people who were

killed to get them here the dirt has

been brushed off there's a little note

that says where it came from should

people believe what's on that little

note no absolutely

not last year we went with Brad Gordon

to see where in Cambodia the met and

other museums collections really did

come from this is incredible this

seven-story pyramid is more than a

thousand years old and Rises out of the

Jungle in COK in Northeast Cambodia it's

one of dozens of temples and what was

once the capital of an Ancient K Empire

lutters have been all over this site for

for decades correct Douglas lred loved

the statuary in love with the beauty in

love with the artistic the statues from

here have a distinctive style that he

particularly loved correct and perhaps

the most famous statues in that

distinctive style that latchford stole

from COC were nine Stone Warriors

once arranged together in a battle scene

today seven have been returned to the

national museum in panom pen including

this 500 lb Sandstone sculpture it's the

one SES tried to sell in

2011 they're back on their original

pedestals their ankles reunited with

their feet hacked off by lutters this

was at s this is a Christie's Simon

Norton Simon Museum habou is the

Secretary of State in cambodia's

Ministry of culture he's working with

Brad Gordon to bring back the two COC

statues whose empty pedestals sit in the

museum so do you know what are supposed

to be on we know you know what are

supposed to be here and you know what

supposed to be here among nine sculpture

we have seven already only two missing

one of those missing sculptures was

discovered in the glossy pages of

architectural digest in 2008 this

mythical Army commander and a stunning

number of other stolen Works were all

together in the Palm Beach mansion of

the late billionaire George lindaman and

his wife Freda the ancient Treasures of

Cambodia were sitting in the living room

of an incredibly wealthy family in

America in Florida on

display while people were having

cocktails and the one thing that I'm

always struck by is how many people

witnessed it and have been silent and

continue to be silent today the lindaman

spent an estimated $2 million building

the collection with the help of Douglas

latchford Freda lindaman did didn't

respond to our request for an interview

but in CET we showed her home to two

former looters what do you think of this

house it's a beautiful house he said it

looks like it belongs to a King the

former lutters pointed out another

statue in the lindaman's living room

they said they helped steal this

reclining figure of the Hindu god Vishnu

they said it was dug out of the ground

from this exact spot in late 1995 you're

100% sure this was taken from here by

you and others in

1995 yeah I'm

sure they also identified a number of

other statues they say they stole that

appear in books published by Douglas

lashford they say they found this copper

statue using a metal detector this

is yeah they dug it out of the ground

here in 1990 JP labat former special

agent with Homeland Security found

photos of the Statue covered in dirt on

Douglas latchford computer latchford

sold it to the met in

1992 and here it is still on display

you're able to get access to some of L

emails yes um and in there um there

are detailed um stories about the manner

in which he obtained pieces the fact

that he was having them reassembled um

and repair that dirt and and crustations

were being um cleaned off of them they

were freshly dug out of the ground fresh

the these were fresh pieces that he

would describe in his emails that needed

a level of restoration before he could

even attempt to sell them Douglas

latchford was indicted in 2019 but died

before he could be put on trial Federal

prosecutors in New York however continue

tracing his looted artifacts they

believe at least 18 of them have landed

up at the Met I am very involved in our

work on provenance Andrea Bayer is

deputy director for colle and

administration at the Met the Met has

said that they will return objects based

upon rigorous evidentiary

review what rigorous evidentiary review

was done before acquiring these pieces

not enough it seems like the Met had a

don't ask don't tell policy they wanted

to build up their collection and nobody

was really asking questions where it

came from for people many people in the

art World there was a sense of

protecting great objects that stood a

champ of being destroyed we no longer

feel about it that way under pressure 10

years ago the Met did return two statues

called kneeling attendance which had

been donated to them by Douglas

latchford in 2013 when you returned the

kneeling attendance did you investigate

the other items that Douglas latchford

had brought to this Museum I don't know

the answer to that question I can only

pick up the story several years later

when Doug Douglas latchford was indicted

in 2019 when we immediately proactively

went to the US attorney's office and

offered our full cooperation well I can

pick up the story actually in 2013

because a spokesman for The Med said

that no special effort was going to be

made to check the provenances of any

other Douglas latchford donated

work why wouldn't the Met want to look

into everything else that Douglas

latchford had brought to this Museum I

can't speculate about why that didn't

happen but no one investigated all the

other items that Douglas latchford gave

not to my

knowledge the Met is not the only major

museum with looted Cambodian artifacts

but its collection is one of the largest

in the world last year the museum

announced it would create a research

team to examine the provenance or

acquisition history of all its

collections it's taken 10 years since

Douglas lashford was shown to have given

stolen property to the

met for the Met to set up this

provenant team why is it taking 10 years

it was a slow process I'll grant you

that it was a slow process but um I

think that the fact that we are um fully

engaged now fully Cooperative now is is

our only answer to this really it's a

moment of Reckoning and we're ready to

do what it takes now uh to write

whatever the wrong is but we four years

ago when Douglas latchford was indicted

by prosecutors did you set up a team to

check the provenance of every lashford

work we started absolutely we started to

dig in right then and there um it's not

easy I mean the fact that we don't have

much information has to do with the fact

that it's very hard there information

for federal there's enough information

for federal prosecutors to charge

Douglas lford with stealing and looting

and trafficking and smuggled items how

much more evidence do you

need you haven't returned any of the any

Douglas latchford related items since

he's been indicted that was four years

ago on the verge of of of returning a

number of them all of

them that I can't say that's that

interview took place in September two

days before we went to air prosecutors

announced the Met would return 13

Antiquities that came through Douglas

latchford but the Met is not returning

this statue which was specifically cited

in the indictment of latchford or this

one which latchford sold to the met in

1992 cambodia's culture Minister called

the Met announcement a first step and

says she looks forward to the return of

many more of our Treasures shouldn't

museums have thought twice about buying

things that were coming out of Cambodia

in during the genocide and Civil War and

Decades of strife and this question that

you raise is really the Crux of of what

we're wrestling with you acquired pieces

from a known

Smuggler who um used a team of looters

that the government government has

interviewed and taken statements from um

they have emails which refute the

information in your own provenance at

the Museum you have items in the museum

which were named in the indictment of

latchford that are still there and so

these pieces should go back there's no

question it's the right thing to

do this past September the lindaman

family whose collection was showcased in

architectural digest struck a deal with

Federal authorities voluntarily agre in

to return 33 stolen Treasures in a

statement to the New York Times the

lindaman said having purchased these

items from dealers that we assumed were

reputable we were saddened to learn how

they made their way to the market in the

United States why did the lindamans

agreed to return their collection to

Cambodia the pieces were jty um I think

they finally came around to the the fact

that lford was dirty their collection

was was all looted pieces it was obvious

and so they they decided to surrender

them we got a peek at what was the

lindaman collection shortly after the

deal was done it was sitting in a

warehouse in Upstate New York a nation's

living gods and ancestors waiting for a

ride home this is like a whole wing of a

museum a wing of a museum that only the

lindamans and their friends had access

to if the lindamans hadn't published

these in architectural digest back in

2008 I think there's a good chance we

maybe never would have found it we

always say the gods want to come home we

feel like the gods have spoken today

they want to come

home as one of the biggest crates was

being opened waiting eagerly was M Kung

tang and Tida long two members of Brad

Gordon's investigative team this would

be their first look at the mythical Army

Commander taken from COC they were

likely the first cambodians to set eyes

on it since Douglas latchford stole it

more than 50 years ago here there's a

look in his eyes and on his face it's

much bigger than I expected it to be it

presence is extraordinary I did not

expect to feel this

way even the commander seemed to be

smiling then it was time to see the

rarest piece in the lindaman's

collection the Cambodian team knelt in

reverence as the Hindu god vnu was

uncrated despite all the fuss he

appeared unperturbed reclining in a

cosmic

Slumber when this statue arrives in

Cambodia it will be welcomed as one of

the most important ever

returned two Cambodian artifacts donated

by the lindaman family to the Met are

still on display this month the

Cambodian government submitted a list of

49 Antiquities held by the Met they

claim are stolen and want back

so when you look out there and you see

all that green what do you think I see

uh money leaving America here Insanity

you're noticing Miss and disinformation

on your own social media this is the

world we're taking in and we can make

impacts and try to improve

it is this a battle of Rich versus poor

in part it is black versus white in part

it

is if you're not willing to protect a

place like this then what are you

willing to

protect go to me go to three 1 2 3 wow I

want a strong America I want a proud

America