Illustrative Islamic State ISIS oil. Photo: Ekurd.net/Gulf Geystone
By Stephen Lendman | Global Research,
Islamic State sells Iraqi and Syrian oil for a very low price to Kurdish and Turkish smuggling networks and mafias, who label it and sell it on as barrels from the Kurdistan Regional Government
Israel is complicit with Washington’s war on Syria, directly aiding ISIS and likeminded terrorist groups, profiting hugely from Daesh smuggled oil. More on this below.
On Tuesday from Athens, after meeting with his Greek counterpart Panos Kammenos, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said:
“As you know, Daesh enjoyed Turkish money for oil for a very, very long period of time. I hope that it will be ended.”
“It’s up to Turkey, the Turkish government, the Turkish leadership, to decide whether they want to be part of any kind of cooperation to fight terrorism. This is not the case so far.”
Last year, Russia presented detailed maps and satellite images, showing ISIS smuggled oil convoy routes from Syria and Iraq into Turkey – for refining and black market sales.
Evidence indicates Erdogan, his family and other top Turkish officials profiting hugely from illicit sales.
Syrian UN envoy Bashar al-Jafari accused Erdogan of “involvement in the smuggling of stolen Syrian oil by ISIS into Turkey and the smuggling of weapons and materiel by Turkey to terrorists in Syria.”
Ankara denies what clear evidence proves. So does Washington, considering Erdogan a key partner in its regional war OF terror, raping one country after another.
Israel is the main buyer of stolen Iraqi and Syrian oil. Last November, al-Araby al-Jadeed ( The New Arab) UK-based English language news site headlined “Raqqa’s Rockefellers: How Islamic State oil flows to Israel,” saying its investigative work shows:
“IS sells Iraqi and Syrian oil for a very low price to Kurdish and Turkish smuggling networks and mafias, who label it and sell it on as barrels from the Kurdistan Regional Government.”
“It is then most frequently transported from Turkey to Israel, via knowing or unknowing middlemen…”
The New Arab “obtained information about how IS smuggles oil from a colonel in the Iraqi Intelligence Services who we are keeping anonymous for his security.”
“The information was verified by Kurdish security officials, employees at the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan, and an official at one of three oil companies that deal in IS-smuggled oil.”
The news service provided detailed information on how smuggling operations work, supplies to Israel delivered to its Ashdod port city from “Turkish port cities of Mersin, Dortyol and Ceyhan.”
Israel has limited refining capacity. It sells smuggled oil to Mediterranean countries – where it “gains semi-legitimate status.”
Transactions are in US dollars. “Israel (is) the main marketer of IS oil. Without (its involvement), most IS-produced oil would have remained going between Iraq, Syria and Turkey,” said The New Arab.
“(M)ost countries avoid dealing in” smuggled ISIS oil, unwilling to provide the group support.
Last August, the Financial Times reported Israel importing up to 75% of its oil from Iraqi Kurdistan – about 240,000 barrels daily, shipped from Turkish ports, without explaining its smuggled source.
Israel directly aids ISIS, providing weapons, munitions and medical treatment for its wounded fighters, along with intermittently bombing Syrian targets. It’s complicit with Obama’s regional wars, including by profiting from stolen Syrian and Iraqi oil.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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