Radical Islamic Butchers of ISIS Reconquer Palmyra

In March of this year, ISIS lost hold of the Syrian city of Palmyra. The jihadists had occupied the ancient city for about 10 months before they were finally driven out. Yesterday (Saturday), however, the radical Islamic butchers were suddenly back. Nobody had seen them coming, but in little to no time they had taken back most of the city and surrounded the airport.

Overnight, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops in Syria to fight back and reclaim the city for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A few hours ago, Dutch media reported the Russians had driven ISIS back to the outskirts of the city. Their defeat seemed imminent.

Sadly, that’s not how it played out:

Isis has recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra in the face of heavy Russian air strikes and Syrian army resistance, nine months after it was driven from the city.

Monitoring groups the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Palmyra Coordination Committee (PCC) said militants stormed the city in a multi-pronged attack on Sunday afternoon.

Russia earlier said it had helped repel the Isis assault, driving the jihadis back to orchards outside the city and killing 300 militants in the process.

According to the Russian foreign minister, ISIS regrouped after Russia’s offensive and launched a second, better planned attempt. That second attempt to reconquer Palmyra succeeded.

When ISIS controlled Palmyra the last time — from May 2015 to March 2016 — the jihadists destroyed much of the city’s ancient Roman structures, including the 2,000-year old Temple of Bel. They even killed the city’s 81-year-old director of antiquities, Khaled al-Asaad. There’s little doubt they’ll continue their war on the ancients and the living now that they’re back in charge.

Palmyra isn’t only important because of its historic significance; it also has strategic value because it’s near Syria’s oilfields. It’s a major problem that ISIS has retaken the city. It should cause the anti-ISIS coalition to step up its efforts and finally (!!) destroy these radical Islamists. If Russia can’t do it, it’s up to the West. That means that both Europe and the U.S. have to go all-out. This war has gone on long enough. There’s no reason whatsoever to stall and wait for a miracle to happen. ISIS has to be completely and utterly destroyed.

Sadly, the chance of Europe’s weakling “leaders” and President Obama doing so is somewhere between zero and zilch. Let’s hope that Donald Trump, when he becomes president, has more courage and fortitude. Until then, innocent people living in Syria and Iraq can only pray for a miracle.