Hope amidst the rubble
The recapture of Palmyra marks a turning point in the fight against Islamic State and in the Syrian civil war
Two pieces of information from Syria give hope that the West Asian nation is finally turning the corner in the civil war and in the fight against Islamic State (IS). First, after 20 days of intense battle with IS, on March 27, pro-Damascus forces regained control of the ancient city of Palmyra. IS had captured this Unesco World Heritage site and city in May and destroyed many monuments. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces were able to retake the city with backing from the Russian Armed Forces and Iranian troops. Second, initial reports from Palmyra suggest that the damage to the monuments is not as extensive as experts feared. While the Temple of Baal and the Arch of Triumph have been destroyed, the Agora and Roman amphitheatre, used by IS to stage executions, have survived. One person who must be remembered at this moment is Khaled al-Assad, the Syrian scholar who played a vital role in the excavation of the site and for more than four decades was associated with its preservation. Before the fall of Palmyra, Khaled shifted four consignments of artefacts and antiquities to Damascus and refused to reveal to IS the locations of the hidden artefacts. After being tortured for over a month he was killed in August.
Palmyra is an important addition to the president’s expanding map of control in Syria, and will help in the recapture of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zour. But a major task will be to demine the city — IS, before retreating, planted a number of mines throughout Palmyra. Reports suggest that experts have demined more than 150 bombs in the archaeological site. The recapture is a psychological boost to regime forces and will revitalise the fight against IS. That said, Syria is not yet out of the woods and the civil war is far from over.
The recapture of Palmyra is a reflection of Mr Assad’s increasing power, but that should not stop the world from asking tough questions. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a month after the cessation of hostilities came into force, 646 people have been killed — 174 of them innocent civilians — “in shelling by the regime” in places observing the ceasefire. Russia will now have to see that the Geneva peace talks have a positive outcome. Today, more than any world leader, Mr Putin has got the leverage to influence Mr Assad. This is Mr Putin’s chance to win where the West has failed and bring about peace in Syria.