What a tragedy. When the crazies govern. I admit that when it comes to historical artifacts I am extremely liberal. They should be preserved for all that man may not forget his history.
And I am extremely conservative, and paradoxically, our ends would be the same : preservation of humanity's history and legacy, no matter how primitive and brutal it may be.
In the past, in recent times, I am amazed that academic institutions world wide have not insisted on using the available amazing technology to record exact digital 3D records to reproduce these treasures for the future. The technique can be applied to minuscule items as well as to entire buildings.
Why hasn't UNESCO insisted on this preservation of humanity's Legacy?
Instead, the UN seems to concentrate on enabling the worst cultures, the most ignorant and brutal that currently exist, and that history has seen in the last 70 years or so.
Animals not worth saving, in my opinion.
But the cultural historical record? Absolutely.
If any self appointed or "elected" "Iraqi a*****e wants to charge ransom for permission to photograph and scan these treasures, I would shoot him on the spot, as well as all his associates, his family and his camels and goats. Even his Toyota pickup truck.
Or we can all decide that these ancient cultures and their cultural product is not worth saving.
There is no other choice.