The command of the Syrian army announced that Palmyra was liberated from Daesh militants. Palmyra had been controlled by Daesh since May 2015. At the same time, the President of Russia informed the UNESCO Director General about the successful end of the operation on liberation of the treasury of world culture by the Syrian army and the militia with the effective support of the Russian Air Forces. Vladimir Putin promised that the Russian Defense Ministry would support the Syrian side to the full extent to demine the city territory. He expressed hope that, despite the barbarian sack of the city by Daesh terrorists, the united international community would do its best to restore the invaluable legacy of humanity. Irina Bokova admitted that Palmyra’s liberation had huge significance for world culture. She said that UNESCO would start a development of options to preserve and restore the historic monuments of the ancient city. She hopes that the State Hermitage of Russia will support them intensively.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Moscow group of the Syrian opposition, the secretary of the 'People's Will' party, a member of the leadership of the Front for Change and Liberation, Qadri Jamil, believes that the liberation of Palmyra has a deep moral significance: “Daesh is the embodiment of two ideas that have previously been put forward. It is, firstly, constructive anarchy, constructive chaos. Secondly, Daesh is the embodiment of the most reactionary confluence of modern imperialism. Daesh, as a fascist movement, opposes humanity and presents a great danger to all people. Regarding the liberation of Palmyra, this is definitely a very important event. It has huge spiritual, symbolic significance. And this victory allowed to undermine the danger that Daesh presented to the very foundations of the Syrian state, spreading its influence in other countries of the region.”
Qadri Jamil thinks that Russia and Syria defend the entire human civilization together – both Christian and Islamic. He compares the liberation of Palmyra with key moments during World War II, when the USSR fought fascism. “The latest terrorist attacks in Brussels show that the successful fight against ISIS requires joint efforts. And now the West and the East must unite, at least temporarily, in order to fight this common threat. I hope that Western politicians will find enough political will in themselves to take the correct positions and join the efforts of Russia,” Qadri Jamil stated.
