Relics seized from smugglers are returning to Afghanistan

Precious relics of Afghanistan's ancient past are returning home as the nation confronts deepening uncertainty about its future. A collection of 33 artefacts seized from a New York-based art dealer who authorities say was one of the world's most prolific smugglers of antiquities was turned over by the US to the government of Afghanistan this week. "The significance of the material is huge," Roya Rahmani (in pic), the country's ambassador to the US, said Wednesday.

"Each one of these pieces are priceless depictions of our history." Rahmani formally took control of the collection in a ceremony Monday in New York with the Manhattan District Attorney's office and Homeland Security Investigations, which recovered the artefacts as part of a larger investigation into the trafficking of antiquities from a number of countries. Now, after briefly being displayed at the embassy in Washington, the masks, sculptures and other items, some from the second and third centuries, are en route to Kabul, where they are expected to go on display at the National Museum.

It's the same museum where members of the Taliban destroyed artifacts in 2001 as part of a cultural rampage rooted in a fundamentalist version of Islam in which depictions of the human form are considered offensive.

The Taliban is now out of power. But it controls much of the country outside of Kabul amid stalled talks with the government and the looming withdrawal of US and NATO forces after two decades of war. Rahmani concedes it's a delicate time. "However, what I know is that our security forces are determined to defend our people," she said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"The government is committed to do its part for peace and stability in a way that would bring durable peace." The U.S. government is working to repatriate the looted material, much of which was found in a series of raids on storage units in the New York City area.