Ruining Syria and Iraq as a Way to Undermine Identity

As a result of the accelerating pace of globalization and the increasing number of armed conflicts, the destruction of monuments and the theft of historical treasures and works of art have increased dramatically. Until recently, Islamic jihadists simply destroyed religious monuments belonging to another religion; today, amid collectors' interest in Mesopotamian antiquities, they sell ancient artefacts and generate income to finance their activities.The US military presence in the Middle East has played no small role in the destruction of ancient heritage. And here the interests of jihadists coincide with the interests of those who see in the destruction of historical treasures the realization of their ideological interests.Today, according to Interpol, the trade in ancient works of art is considered a real threat to international security. It ranks fourth among transnational crimes and third in volume after drug and arms trafficking.What is happening today in the Middle East, Afghanistan and others is the implementation of a project aimed at destroying evidence of the “roots of civilization†and creating a “new history†that corresponds to the interests of the authors of this project.