The marauding forces of ISIS were finally driven last November from Nimrud, Iraq’s priceless trove of Middle East history and relics situated south of Mosul. They left behind a barbaric pile of rubble after more than a year of systematically tearing apart the ancient palaces, temples and cultural treasures of what had been the capital of the Assyrian empire nearly three millenniums ago.

With ISIS gone, looters have now descended on the broken remains, gleaning the scorched earth for valuable fragments. No one is protecting the ancient grounds, despite a warning from United Nations inspectors that looters are further obliterating one of the most important archaeological sites of Mesopotamia.

Nimrud is not alone: The terrorists’ commitment to stamping out history and creating a fanatical caliphate has destroyed dozens of other irreplaceable sites.