Dear Ambassador Barros,

A former UNESCO adviser on cultural preservation as well as a philosopher of history who organised several noted international conferences on the endangered archaeological treasures of Afghanistan in Paris, France, in 2001, I call upon the United Nations Security Council to adopt a plan for saving Damascus from its certain and barbarous destruction by the terrorists of ISIS proposed by Lord David Owen (CH), former British Foreign Secretary and EU Special Envoy.  I should underscore the salient fact that Lord Owen both participated and lent his support to my past UNESCO-sponsored efforts at saving   the now sadly lost Buddhas of the Bamiyan Valley from their Al-Qaedia-inspired and wanton destruction by the defunct Taliban regime.

In a recent letter to The Sunday Times, Lord Owen has thus outlined his plan:

" To save Damascus there is one credible but difficult option  still open with historical precedents. Namely to use the short window of opportunity to create a UN Mandate for the Kingdom of Jordan to administer and defend the City . During the early days of the Mandate  the Assad forces in the City would  hand over control and move to that part of Syria which borders the Mediterranean.   In order for Jordan to undertake this massive task which will stretch their own defence forces beyond what is safe, the Kingdom  should be authorised to invite regional countries to help in Damascus . For the long Jordanian boundary with Syria forces from the permanent five members of the Security Council could be part of the Mandate , but not to enter Syria. Without such action the world risks losing one of the great cities of civilisation."

Hence, I urge Your Excellency and the members of the august international body to adopt Lord Owen's bold plan and thus spare our troubled and increasingly indifferent world the infamy of shameful passivity in face of the sort of murderous babarity which ISIS shall certainly inflict on culturally unique Damascus and its defenceless inhabitants in the event of its fall.Barbarity which violates the fundamental principles of the UN charter and, more importantly, all civlised life as such.

Respectfully Yours,

Simon F.Oliai