US returns smuggled ancient artifacts to Libya

By YOUSEF MURAD
Associated Press

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — The United States has returned a cache of smuggled ancient artifacts to Libya as the oil-rich Mediterranean country struggles to protect its heritage against the backdrop of years of war, turmoil and unrest. The items repatriated on Thursday include two sculptures dating to the 4th century B.C. likely from the ancient city of Cyrene. One, named the “Veiled Head of a Female,” was in the hands of a private collector, and the has been at the Metropolitan Museum of New York since 1998. Libyan antiquities authorities thanked American officials and law enforcement for the returned items and said that they looked forward to future cooperation.