“The MPS treats the theft of, and cultural dealing of, property from abroad very seriously. The steps we are taking are proportionate with a view to repatriating an item which could be of cultural or historical significance to the Iraqis.”

That’s a quote from a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police about an investigation which has been opened into the removal of a cigar case from the bombed-out home of former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz in 2003. Who took it?

None other than the current Tory Party challenger in the London Mayoral race, Boris Johnson. And of course, since he’s ahead in some polls of incumbent Ken Livingstone, Johnson smells a rat.

“There were over 18,000 crimes in London last month and yet the police write to me about this?” he told the London Telegraph.

“What this shows is a concerted effort by my political opponents to waste police time by dragging up an article that I wrote five years ago and trying to make political mileage out of it. When knife crime is on the rise in our capital city, can it be right that police time is allowed to be wasted in this way?”

Johnson wrote an article which appeared in the Telegraph in 2003 in which he admitted taking the case – the bottom half was all that was left – for no other reason than it was there and Johnson, a Telegraph columnist, was willing to hand the deposed diplomat another small slap.

But the London police were only notified of the matter in the last few days and sent a letter to Johnson which reads in part, “Police attention has been drawn to reports suggesting that you have in your possession an item that may be Iraqi cultural property, namely a cigar case from the address of Tariq Aziz.”

Iraqi cultural property? Tariq Aziz? Johnson said in his 2003 article that “If he wants it, I suppose he can have it back.” Aziz is reported as still in custody after being captured in 2003, so Johnson can still be said to be holding the case for him. But the intrigue will go right on until elections are held on May 1.

And the winner is:
Congratulations to Joe Ray of Stillwater, Oklahoma, winner of our “Register & Win” drawing for a free box of glass-tubed Punch Café Royales from our Perelman, Pioneer & Company humidors, courtesy of Mike’s Cigars.

Up for your pleasure this week is a prized box of Martinez New York Gold Fifth Avenues, made by hand in a small factory on 29th Street in New York! They’re medium in body with an Ecuadorian-grown wrapper in the expansive double corona size of 7 1/4 inches and 54 ring gauge! This elegant-looking, all-black box of 25 is provided courtesy of our friends at J-R Cigars. and will be awarded in our drawing to be held on Sunday, March 2.

To enter, just click on the “Register & Win” tab above and fill out the required information. If you have entered in the past, there is no need to re-enter; all past entries are carried forward to future drawings. You must be 21 or older to win; good luck!
~ Rich Perelman

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