How does Islamic State make money off oil fields in Syria and Iraq?
Nabih Bulos
Russia has accused Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of colluding with the militant group Islamic State in an industrial-scale, illegal oil trade.
The charges, leveled this week amid escalating tensions between Turkey and Russia, highlight the militant group's prominence as an important oil broker in war-torn Syria and the chaotic eastern areas of Iraq.
Islamic State now controls almost two-thirds of Syria's oil production capacity, experts estimate, providing an essential source of revenue to feed its war machine.
But to what extent can Islamic State leaders operate the oil fields and get the product to market? That's a question being pondered by the United States, which launched airstrikes against oil facilities in recent weeks to stop the extremist group from using oil revenue to finance its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq.
Here's a look at Islamic State's involvement in the oil industry.
Continue reading at:
How does Islamic State make money off oil fields in Syria and Iraq?
Nabih Bulos
Russia has accused Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of colluding with the militant group Islamic State in an industrial-scale, illegal oil trade.
The charges, leveled this week amid escalating tensions between Turkey and Russia, highlight the militant group's prominence as an important oil broker in war-torn Syria and the chaotic eastern areas of Iraq.
Islamic State now controls almost two-thirds of Syria's oil production capacity, experts estimate, providing an essential source of revenue to feed its war machine.
But to what extent can Islamic State leaders operate the oil fields and get the product to market? That's a question being pondered by the United States, which launched airstrikes against oil facilities in recent weeks to stop the extremist group from using oil revenue to finance its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq.
Here's a look at Islamic State's involvement in the oil industry.
Continue reading at:
How does Islamic State make money off oil fields in Syria and Iraq?
