On January 19, 2006, the U.S. State Department (USDOS) announced that the U.S. and Italy have agreed to extend their wide- ranging Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that bars the importation of Etruscan, Greek and Roman artifacts from Italy for five more years. The prohibition is part of a broader

agreement between the two nations on protecting Italy's cultural heritage. It has come under inquiry in recent months, however, as Italy is energetically seeking to get back its antiquities from several major American museums. Archaeologists and cultural property experts praised the original 2001 MOU as a useful device against the plundering of Italian archaeological sites. [See Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Categories of Archaeological Material etc, in force January 19, 2001]. In reporting the extension, the USDOS applauded recent Italian moves toward longer-term leases of additional archaeological material to American museums. It also pointed to Italian police reports that archaeological looting in Italy is still "a severe problem" and that many of the plundered artifacts are headed to the U.S. On the other hand, many U.S. art dealers have contended that the ban impedes lawful trading in artifacts which are already well represented in Italian collections. Moreover, some American museum officials complain that Italy has not upgraded its cultural cooperation to the extent called for in the MOU. Citation: The New York Times, Washington, D. C. ; Saturday, January 20, 2006, Section E, page 6; 2006 W.L.N.R. 1080909 (byline of Hugh Eakin, compiled by Lawrence Van Gelder).