In a statement, the committee said: “The failure to observe international humanitarian law, including numerous international conventions to which the US is a State Party, as well as customary international law, can lead to the commission of war crimes.”
The committee added that it “further underscores the critical importance of advance coordination with cultural heritage professionals, deployment of cultural property protection lists, and engagement with relevant international bodies – including Unesco and The Blue Shield International (BSI) – to safeguard at-risk sites”.
The statement continued: “The destruction of cultural heritage is irreversible. It erases identity, history, and the shared memory of civilisations. No military or political objective justifies the willful or negligent destruction of humanity’s common inheritance. Such destruction is also one of the actions that can make returning to a state of peace more difficult.
Middle East history of war driven destruction:
Cultural heritage in ruins: How modern warfare has devastated the ancient cities of the Middle East
The New Arab revisits the ancient cities of the Middle East, highlighting the destruction caused by war, looting, and neglect to their cultural heritage
6 min readRead Mode
29 November, 2024
The Middle East is one of the most ancient regions on Earth. The world’s first manmade cities were built here; Damascus, Syria, Jericho, Palestine, and Byblos, Lebanon.
For thousands of years, its historical legacy was protected not only by the governments and rulers of the territory but also by common citizens. However, the last century has witnessed the devastating destruction and looting of many archaeological sites in the Middle East.
The invasion of Iraq led by the US and Britain in 2003, destroyed invaluable historical sites and in an apparent disregard for history and cultural heritage, the US and Britain even built military bases atop archaeological wonders.
The Islamic State group (IS/ISIS) composed of members from various nationalities, including Europeans and Chechens, also played a devastating role in the destruction of these ancient sites both in Iraq and Syria. Coupled with airstrikes led by the Syrian government, many of the world’s most significant archaeological sites have suffered irreparable damage.
Mark Altaweel, Professor of Near East Archaeology at UCL, explained to The New Arab that recent conflicts have had a distinct and devastating impact on cultural heritage, with the deliberate targeting of historical sites emerging as a defining feature. This period of warfare, he noted, “differs from past conflicts in its attempt at cultural destruction.”
Mark also highlighted that widespread looting has added to the devastation. IS, in particular, has conducted one of the most organised and large-scale looting campaigns seen in recent times, significantly harming the region’s archaeological heritage.
Although restoration of these sites is ongoing, some archaeological experts have warned that the process may actually taint the original integrity and significance of the sites.
https://www.newarab.com/features/forgotten-cities-middle-east-ravaged-war
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