A beautiful oasis in the midst of the Syrian desert and the crossing point of some of the most important cultures in history, Palmyra’s two-thousand-year-old heritage does not belong only to Syria, it is a gift to the world. From Greek culture to Roman customs and Persian traditions, the ruins the city contains are a patrimony that transcends borders. Connecting several trading routes, from the West to the East, Palmyra witnessed the rise and fall of several civilizations, as shown by the monuments that dominate the city’s scene, such as the Temple of Ba’al, the Agora and Diocletian’s Camp.

At present, the city has perilously fallen under the black flag of the Islamic State in Syria, which now holds control of half of the country, causing massive disruption and violations of human rights. Following the seizure of the city, IS militants stated that they would refrain from destroying Palmyra’s archaeological sites, a promise they soon broke by crushing several statues including the famous Lion of Al-Lat, built in honour of a pre-Islamic goddess.

The ancient part of the city has now become inaccessible to remaining Syrians due to the constant patrolling of the IS militants. As Boris Johnson noted recently, Palmyra is a global treasure that must be preserved as such. Letting the terrorists of IS tear the city down sets a dangerous precedent: if they can get away with this kind of crime here, there is no stopping them elsewhere in the region, which is particularly worrisome considering how rich it is in terms of ruins and monuments.

However, art is not the only reason there should be concerns about Palmyra’s fall.

Palmyra is highly significant to the fight to IS, not only due to its symbolism but mostly because it reveals a worrisome larger picture. This is the first case where IS forces have captured a city from the Syrian army after a direct confrontation, at a substantial cost in dead and injured fighters, soldiers and, of course, civilians. IS will be able to profit a great deal by selling most of the monuments it does not destroy. It has clearly shows how the Western military strategy in Syria is less effective and coordinated than the one in Iraq.

This last point, especially, is helpful in explaining why anti-IS forces are making progress on the Iraqi front while looking weak on the Syrian one. One of the reasons for the different lies in the different relations Bashar al-Assad and Haidar al-Abbadi have with the West. Mr. Assad has had a troubled history with Washington since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, which has led to a lack of coordination between American and Syrian forces on the field. This has allowed IS to exploit a very complicated battlefield to start building its own way to Damascus.

Conversely, the appointment of Mr. Abbadi in Iraq has allowed for an improvement in Baghdad’s relations with its neighbours, both regional and international. Indeed, the new Iraqi Prime Minister received its education in the UK, where he lived while exiled during the Saddam Hussein era, He is a much more reliable counterparty for Western allies than Mr. Maliki, his predecessor. However, Mr. Abbadi has also managed not to loosen ties with Teheran, which the previous administration had built over time. Such increased openness has led to organized military strategies on the field, as the one made by the U.S., Iraq and Iran in the battle for Tikrit. 

Obviously the scope of the threat posed by IS in the region and the deep ideological divergences with Shia countries have helped build this type of coalitions. In this sense, a growing common enemy has made Mr. Abbadi’s job easier: he is building alliances, allowing him to score some important victories as in the cases of Tikrit and Kobane. Damascus and Washington just cannot seem to find a common path to fight IS like the West has in Iraq. This is not simply due to stubbornness by the two governments, since there are several interests at stake, further complicated by Moscow’s support for Mr. Assad.

The loss of Palmyra could be wake-up call for a stronger military cooperation. IS is dangerously advancing through Syria. What used to be the Silk Road has become a place of disruption and suffering. Taking the “pearl” of Palmyra, as the city is known, has been a boost for IS militarily. IS, in destroying the archeological site, would make this a cultural disaster. As Johnson stated, this is a clash “between civilisation and nihilism”, and we can do better than this to stop it.