take more effective action to protect historical art and monuments in the Middle East.

In less than two years, ISIS has wiped out centuries of heritage, and every day, the toll becomes heavier. ISIS has destroyed five of six UNESCO World Heritage sites in Syria along with countless other artifacts and monuments. These sites record our world's heritage and belong to all of us. We have a moral duty to protect these treasures for our descendants before we lose the record of the past. But we are running out of time. We must remember the Monuments Men of WWI, without whom many of the masterpieces of art and history that we enjoy today would not exist. The Obama Administration needs to take stronger, more effective action to protect our cultural heritage. As ISIS continues to obliterate priceless monuments, the time for passive lamentation is over. We need to act now.