US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4444

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004444 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, L/NEA AND ECA MARIA KOUROUPAS 
PARIS FOR US MISSION TO UNESCO 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL, MOPS, KPAO, ECON, PGOV, PREL, DA, IZ 
SUBJECT: DANISH EXHIBIT COMPANY PRESSES ON WITH 
PLANS FOR IRAQI ANTIQUITIES ("NIMRUD GOLD") 
EXHIBIT TOUR 
 
REFTEL: BAGHDAD 3363 
 
1.  Summary.  Denmark-based United Exhibits Group 
(UEG) is in Baghdad to secure an addendum to its 
exclusive July 2004 agreement with the Iraqi 
government to exhibit Iraq's "Nimrud Gold" 
collection internationally for five years.  The 
initial agreement called for that tour to begin by 
October 2005.  The amendment pushes that start 
date back to June 24, 2006.  Additionally, UEG is 
now requesting U.S. military ground and air 
support to move the collection from its current 
depository in Iraq's Central Bank to Baghdad 
International Airport (BIAP) and on to either a 
European transit point such as Frankfurt or 
directly to the Smithsonian Institution in 
Washington. The initial public showing of the 
exhibit would be at the Smithsonian's Sackler 
Gallery in June, followed by a still to be 
determined series of major European cities. End 
summary. 
 
2.  On October 23, Director Teit Ritzau and Iraqi- 
Danish Project Manager Dafir Mann of the Denmark- 
based United Exhibits Group (UEG) called on PA 
Counselor and CAO to seek support for UEG's 
project to organize a 5-year international tour of 
Iraq's "Nimrud Gold" collection.  The principal 
purpose of Ritzau's and Mann's visit to Baghdad 
was to secure an addendum to their initial July 
2004 exclusive agreement with the Iraqi Interim 
Government to tour this collection 
internationally.  The addendum would postpone the 
tour's start date from October 2005 to June 24, 
2006. 
 
3. According to Ritzau, Iraq's current Minister of 
Culture, Nouri-Al Rawi, supports both the original 
agreement and the addendum.  Ritzau expressed 
confidence that UEG would move forward with the 
tour and start on (the new) schedule in 
Washington.  Dafir Mann related that he would head 
up both the "Nimrud Gold" tour and the newly 
founded, private Iraqi Cultural Project 
Organization (ICPO), which plans to open an office 
in Baghdad after the December 15 elections.  ICPO 
would both coordinate the "Nimrud Gold" tour and 
organize other Iraqi cultural programs in the 
future.  Presumably, such activities would be for- 
profit and not sponsored by the Danish government. 
 
4.  Currently, the "Nimrud Gold" collection, which 
Ritzau characterized as the "crown jewels of 
Iraq," resides in the vaults of Iraq's Central 
Bank.  An unresolved challenge for the planned 
2006 tour remains the security situation.  To get 
the collection out of Iraq safely, Ritzau is 
proposing that the U.S. military move the entire 
collection (less than one cubic meter/60 kg 
overall) from the Central Bank to Baghdad's 
International Airport and then to either a 
European transit point (Frankfurt) or directly to 
Washington. 
 
5.  Post understands that the Denton Amendment 
(Title 10, Chap 22, Section 402, FM 41-10, D-5) 
precludes the use of military assets to transport 
non-military items other than for humanitarian 
assistance.  However, our Dept of the Treasury 
representative here advises that a mechanism does 
exist for military support to the movement of gold 
that might be employed in this case so long as a 
continuous chain of custody can be maintained by 
UEG and Iraqi officials.  We have not yet explored 
 
SIPDIS 
that option in detail with either Treasury or the 
military. 
 
6.  Ritzau assured us that the collection is soon 
to be inventoried, appraised and fully insured 
against all losses by Lloyd's of London. Following 
the exhibit's planned June 2006 opening at the 
Sackler, UEG is planning to tour the collection 
through 6-7 major European cities.  Prior to the 
start of any European tour, however, much needed 
restoration work on the collection would be done 
with the assistance of the Smithsonian.  According 
to Ritzau, Smithsonian officials are exploring the 
possibility of "a Fulbright scholarship" to go to 
Iraq's new State Board of Antiquities and Heritage 
(SBAH) Director, Dr. Donny George, so that he 
might be present in Washington for the restoration 
work. Dr. George has not confirmed to us that he 
would be available for such a project, even were 
some sort of grant to be offered. 
 
7. On October 26, PAC and CAO met with Minister of 
Culture (MoC) Nouri Al-Rawi, who stated that the 
original agreement had been signed by the previous 
MoC but not reviewed at the Council of Ministers 
level or approved by the National Assembly.  He 
stated that the new government will review the 
agreement and amendment, in any case, in April 
2006 and confirm at that time whether or not to 
proceed with the new June 24, 2006 exhibition 
commencement date. 
 
8.  Comment: In recent conversations with Dr. 
George (REFTEL), Post has understood him to be 
generally supportive of the idea of a tour of the 
Nimrud Gold at some point but with significant 
reservations about the timing.  Touring the Nimrud 
Gold around the world before it has been on 
display in Iraq might be misunderstood and cause 
political fallout, not only for the museum but 
also for the Iraqi and U.S. governments.  Dr. 
George also has expressed to us concern about 
logistical and security matters, such as accessing 
the Central Bank to pack the collection properly. 
Although UEG repeatedly assured us that the 6- 
month delay addendum has been signed, we still 
have no confirmation from either the MoC or SBAH 
that it has, in fact, actually been signed or that 
the proposed postponement plan fully addresses Dr. 
George's concerns.  End Comment. 
 
Satterfield