Syrians who are stuck in the crossfire between the Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and the Islamic State group say world leaders seem to care more about protecting ancient statues than human life.
Nasser Al-Saer, a member of the Palmyra local community council, said the city’s residents “believe that the international community cares about the stone statues much more than about us. There is a general disappointment or a discontent by the people,” NBC News reported.
Palmyra, which is known for its 2,000 year-old ruins, was taken over by the Sunni radical terrorist group in late May. Residents worry that the U.S.-led coalition has given sentimental weight to the ruins that is unwarranted when compared to the loss of human life.
Mr. Al-Saer told NBC that some people “actually want ISIS to destroy the relics and museums in response to the silence of the international community about what is happening here.”
An activist who spoke to NBC using the pseudonym Khaled Omran al-Homsi said that while residents were glad to see Assad’s military run out of the city, they now fear that Islamic State will resort to “suppressing the community and brutally implementing their own rules.”
“The future is unclear. People are afraid,” Mr. Al-Saer said, NBC reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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