Crisis in the Red Sea; The Looting of Cambodia | 60 Minutes Full Episodes
Summary
TLDRThe 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
🚢 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.
🛡️ 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.
🏛️ 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.
🗿 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.
🕵️♂️ 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.
🛑 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.
🏛️ 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.
🏡 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.
🛫 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Global Trade
💡US Navy
💡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
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