When asked pointedly by a reporter Wednesday whether there was anything the U.S. could do to save the site of the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria, State Department spokesperson Marie Harf didn’t have a lot to offer.
The ancient city of Palmyra has been taken again by the Islamic State, after it was briefly captured by them this weekend, sparking fears that the militants would destroy the city’s priceless cultural artifacts.
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“Is there really nothing America can do to prevent its destruction?” the reporter asked, emphasizing the word “nothing.”
“Well, we are deeply concerned about reports of ISIL’s attacks on the Syrian city, which holds the ruins of Palmyra,” replied Harf.
She acknowledged that “the destruction and looting of these sites has been sort of something we’ve seen in other places” and it’s “incredibly harmful,” but as to the question of what the U.S. could do, Harf only had this to offer:
“We’ll keep watching here, we’ll keep seeing what’s happening on the ground.”
Harf added: “This is the reason we’re trying to push back ISIL out of Iraq and to try and help the Syrian opposition push back ISIL in Syria.”
“This is something we’re following; we’re concerned about this. Obviously, it has been caught in the crossfire for some time and we’ll speak up about it,” said Harf. “Beyond that, I’m not sure what more can be done.”
