Crisis in the Red Sea; The Looting of Cambodia | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

US Navy Operation in the Red Sea

• The US Navy is conducting a major operation in the Red Sea to counter attacks by the Houthi militia in Yemen, which is disrupting global trade.
• The Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on commercial ships and fired more than 150 drones and missiles, targeting vessels from dozens of nations.
• The US Navy has deployed around 7,000 sailors and a coalition of warships, aircraft, and firepower to protect commercial shipping in the region.
• The Houthis are using advanced weapons supplied by Iran, including anti-ship ballistic missiles and attack drones, posing a significant threat to commercial vessels and US Navy ships.
• The US Navy has shot down 20 Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles and fired over 100 of its own missiles to defend against attacks.
• The Houthis have proven to be resourceful adversaries, using intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance drones to coordinate attacks.
• The disruption of trade in the Red Sea has caused significant economic consequences, with major shipping companies rerouting around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, adding travel time and costs.
• The US Navy's USS Eisenhower has been conducting airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks on US forces in the region.
• The Houthis are receiving support from Iran, including intelligence and targeting information, as well as the presence of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on the ground in Yemen.
• The US military is focused on degrading the Houthis' capabilities and restoring freedom of commerce and safe navigation in the southern Red Sea.

Repatriation of Looted Cambodian Artifacts

• Cambodia's government has been working to track down and repatriate thousands of sacred stone, bronze, and gold artifacts that were looted from temples across the country, mostly during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
• Douglas Latchford, a British businessman, is considered the mastermind behind the large-scale looting of Cambodian antiquities.
• Latchford used his reputation as a scholar and protector of Cambodian culture to sell stolen artifacts to wealthy private collectors and museums around the world.
• The Cambodian government has compiled a database of missing artifacts with the help of former looters and Latchford's published books, which served as sales catalogs for his stolen treasures.
• Day Duck, a former Khmer Rouge child soldier and leader of a looting gang, became a key confidential source for the Cambodian government, providing valuable information about the looted artifacts and their locations.
• Brad Gordon and his team documented the theft of thousands of ancient Cambodian statues and relics by British collector Douglas Latchford.
• Latchford sold many of the stolen artifacts to museums and private collectors around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
• In 2011, Latchford attempted to sell a 500-pound sandstone warrior statue from the COC temple complex in Cambodia, which caught the attention of US law enforcement.
• After years of legal wrangling, the statue was returned to Cambodia in 2021.
• Latchford was indicted by US authorities in 2019 for smuggling conspiracy, wire fraud, and other charges but died before he could be put on trial.
• Latchford's family returned his personal collection of stolen treasures to Cambodia, including the COC statue.
• Many of Cambodia's stolen statues and artifacts remain in museums and private collections around the world.
• The Cambodian government is working to repatriate these stolen items with the help of Brad Gordon and his team.
• The Met is returning 13 antiquities that came through Douglas Latchford, a known smuggler who was indicted in 2019 for stealing and looting Cambodian artifacts.
• The Met has been criticized for not investigating all the other items that Latchford donated to the museum, some of which are still on display.
• The Met says it is now fully engaged in provenance research and is working to return all stolen artifacts.
• Cambodia's culture minister called the Met's announcement a first step and says she looks forward to the return of many more of Cambodia's treasures.
• The Lindaman family, whose collection was showcased in Architectural Digest, has voluntarily agreed to return 33 stolen treasures to Cambodia.
• The Cambodian government has submitted a list of 49 antiquities held by the Met that they claim are stolen and want back.