But of course! This from a country that wanted the Nazis out of their country, and wanted their Jews dead. There is not necessarily a contradiction hear.

Ah, le patrimoine culturel! Piles of what's in the Louvre would stand no closer examination than the Elgin Marbles, but the French never seem to enter into any negotiations -- secret or not -- about them.

The objects from my own area of specialty most strangely looted by the French were the marble columns from Charlemagne's palace chapel at Aachen, which Napoleon took home to use for something -- perhaps a triumphal arch (that's a fairly convincing reconstruction of what he intended). After Waterloo they were returned.

everything alright in your heads people!??
do you know actually what you are talking about? before assuming ALL french people to be naughty robbers, making allusion to WW2 or Napoleon??
there is a region in iran near jiroft where a huge amount of high interesting archeological material has been discovered and collected illegally by people living in the area. most of it has been sold in the last 2-3 years in europe and in the usa at sales. a system involving iranian custom employees was in place.
so it is good possible that the parisian museum came to buy some materials from there... but it is certainly not the only one!
all western museum are full of material that has been stolen from their former countries. not only french ones, Herr Tinkler: what about the Altar in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin for instance!
against nationalist pride, the plague of the last 150 years: think global!!
best regards.

Afterall, if the objects returned to Iran they would be taken away and re-sell to the us and Europeans! On the other hand, if they are kept in Louvre, British Museus, etc. they will be studied, appreciated, visited by many, and protected in most appropriate ways.

Mullas believe history starts with Islam, and whatever prior to that period, morall or material, is subject to annihilation. That is why they not only prevent, but persuade people to destroy pre-histopic objects. Gangs of mullas are involved in the smugglings. Arabs are striving!
I know mullas, they are sticked to their ideology. but, if they are pushed, they do whatever beyound islam; they sell their mothers to survive!

Iran's Museum of History located in Tehran is quite well-appreciated and visit by many people too.
The suggestion that Iran's government intentionally seeks to destroy pre-Islamic artifacts is laughable and a blatant lie. In fact the LEGAL Jiroft excavations are occuring with the approval and financing of the government of Iran, which has also been restoring Persepolis. See Jiroft discovery stuns archaeologists by
Andrew Lawler. Science. Washington: Nov 7, 2003 and Iran reopens its past
Andrew Lawler. Science. Washington: Nov 7, 2003.

A piece of stone appreciated?! No way. The Prophet abandoned such an idea for the favor of Allah!!, and Taliban, thoroughly Islamite, destroyed Buddha statutes for the cause. Mullahs, the right descendants, follow the order. It is to the world community to preserve Jiroft as a part of identity for human race as well as the future generations.

Pouvez-vous me dire combien de personnes vont par jour au musée de jiroft? peut-être 10!mais en revanche 30.000 personnes minimum par jour au Louvre.Alors je pensse que le Louvre montre ce qu'il y a de mieux de l'Iran.
La bonne question est de savoir si les mollahs en font la même chose? n'oublions pas que Persepolis a failli d'être detruit par ces mêmes gens qui aujourd'hui defendent la culture Iranienne.
Le point c'est lorsque l'ignorance culturel est utilisé comme instrument de propagande.