It would have to be refined before it can be used in that way, though. And you would think it would be fairly easy to regulate the big oil refineries to stop them from purchasing oil on the black market. Somebody mentioned in the Mexican drug cartels thread that the Mexican cartels have also started making money from the black market oil trade, so it'd be interesting to know who they're selling it to.
ISIS in Iraq and Syria
- Thread starter Suli
- Start date
It would have to be refined before it can be used in that way, though. And you would think it would be fairly easy to regulate the big oil refineries to stop them from purchasing oil on the black market. Somebody mentioned in the Mexican drug cartels thread that the Mexican cartels have also started making money from the black market oil trade, so it'd be interesting to know who they're selling it to.
Have read that ISIS have control of a refinery or two is that true? If so that explains where they are getting it refined.
Yeah, probably another one of them things we all assume is so big, lucrative and important that it must be heavily regulated whereas the reality kind of differs.
They really aren't much of a news organization anymore. The last time I watched they spent about 4 hours on a cruise ship non-story. Things like passengers having to eat bagels for breakfast lunch and dinner. Comical channel nowadays and unfortunately there are no mainstream channels with decent news to replace it.
ISIS has a couple of smaller refineries. The rest is sold to refineries in turkey or jordan. They have to sell it fairly cheap, because of the risks for the buyer, but as long as some countries turn a blind eye on that, they can earn significant money.
mexican drug cartels steal oil from pipelines in mexico and sell it to local refineries around both sides of their northern boarder. So there is no connection between those groups.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/per...illicit-cut-price-crude-in-Mideast-surge.html
This article suggests that it is sold to criminals who use it to 'bulk up' legitimate crude oil, so I guess it's possible that it is being bought (unknowingly) by the big refineries as part of their purchases of legit crude oil from seemingly legit sources. Although it is easy to believe that there are smaller refineries knowingly purchasing black market crude.
Imagine if the US and other coalition members actually do put boots on the ground. It would be a massacre. IS fighters would be running for holes in the ground in a matter of hours, then we' be back to square one circa 2003 after the invasion of Iraq!
It doesn't look good, does it?
It appears a ground offensive of some sort could be inevitable, and the longer it is left, the more prolonged a ground campaign will be. That's what the leaders of the anti-IS coalition need to get into their heads...if troops are to be sent in, it's time for Western governments to stop pussy-footing around and actually make a move. If the air strikes fail (as they look to be doing) and the Islamic State is able to further establish itself, it will continue to gain more and more support. The potential for its growth is terrifying when you consider that it is starting to organise recruitment drives in places like Indonesia and Pakistan. Until now it has been drawing its foreign 'Mujaheddin' from a small pool of fanatics in Europe and places like Chechnya, as well as from the Arab world. Just imagine if it is successful in bringing in fighters from much more populated pools of potential volunteers, like the two I have mentioned.
In a years' time, the IS could occupy a larger area, have a much more sophisticated system of administration (both in terms of military and civilian governance) and could have control of a MUCH larger army of foreign fighters who will be hell bent on further expansion. It's a seriously fecked up situation that will only get more fecked up unless it is faced head on.
They do get fixated on certain stories - this year its been all about the Malaysian flight, the police shooting in St Louis, and now Ebola.
This fella was featured on the American news last night.....
Come to mention it I did stumble on the channel when the flight went down. They had that british royal family expert as their plane expert. Says it all about cnn unless I'm missing something.
They showed an interview of an American member of Al Nusra tonight. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-jihadist-in-syria-talks-to-cbs-news-clarissa-ward/
Its crazy, I mean, all he wants is for America to feck off and a country where shariah rules. All of this bloodshed for that. Madness.
edit - they all call for ground troops too, they are filled with years of rage and anger.
they know who 'ibn zubayr' is so why did he cover his face lool
edit - they all call for ground troops too, they are filled with years of rage and anger.
they know who 'ibn zubayr' is so why did he cover his face lool
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Having read several articles on Turkey's inaction in Kobane, it's pretty clear and understandable how the Turkish government feels they gain a lot with Kobane falling to ISIS. They know they can send in their well trained troops and drill ISIS whenever they want but if Kobane falls, the PKK will be humiliated. As an American, I don't see why the US should play party to it unless the Turks are providing some sort of support we can't afford to lose. Very Macchiavellian that's for sure.
I didn't realise quite how close to Turkey Kobane is.
From the US Government perspective, Kobane isn't that vital, or so they have claimed.
Terrifying.
Its all good and dandy if you want to get rid of Assad, but replacing him with a Sharia Caliphate where millions of Syrians who don't fit the sectarian bill will most likely get ousted or massacred is hardly an alternative.
"This is our religion", then bugger off to Saudi Arabia where your feudalistic customs are state law.
And he's not even with ISIS - with Nusra or a similar group.
Controlling Kobane will free up a lots of ISIS soldiers. Western leaders are saying, that ISIS can only be destroyed with ground troops and the kurds are exactly that. Losing Kobane will also mean, that you loose this factor in Syria. I think that the FSA will be cleaned up in record speed, when ISIS is allowed to focus on their last few strongholds.
Establishing a new foothold in the area will be way harder than defending one. Losing Kobane means losing political and tactical options for the USA. The US gov. still haven't decided how to handle the situation, so keeping all options open seems to be vital for them.
Thats why I always thought that they wont let ISIS take over Kobane. Its hard to say whats actually happening, but news/twitter indicates, that the airstrikes are getting way more serious, which would support my argument.
Establishing a new foothold in the area will be way harder than defending one. Losing Kobane means losing political and tactical options for the USA. The US gov. still haven't decided how to handle the situation, so keeping all options open seems to be vital for them.
Thats why I always thought that they wont let ISIS take over Kobane. Its hard to say whats actually happening, but news/twitter indicates, that the airstrikes are getting way more serious, which would support my argument.
Make no mistake, Nusra and some of the FSA's more extreme subsidaries are just as bad. We might not see footage of them beheading Western aid workers, but they've committed equally horrific crimes on Syrians and Iraqis, but we seldom see or hear about them, so their ghastly threat goes under the radar.
The Kurds are in control of three cantons in Syria. Kobane was the smallest and most vulnerable canton. Taking out Kobane does not meant the YPG no longer have any control in Syria.
Curious, what strategic benefit do ISIS see in capturing Kobane? Are they going for it assuming the Turks are going to give them a free run at it? Or is it to establish a corridor between Raqqa and Aleppo?
Establishes a corridor between Jarablus and Tel Abyad. Opens up the Eastern route into Aleppo. Takes out YPG stronghold, biggest threat to ISIS.
i had a dream that Ibrahimovic went to Mosul, there was no way of getting there so he had to hide in a plastic duck.
No more news for you 
Same can be described for Assad regime and Shia militias operating in Iraq.
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The Syrian army and the Shia militias are obviously not paragons of virtue, but you can hardly compare them to the likes of ISIS, Al Nusra and the FSA. For starters they don't behead innocents, burn down churches, eat human hearts or force people to convert at gunpoint...then proceed to kill them anyway.
It's not difficult to see who the lesser of the evils are here.
Well if they have not got rpg's by now I don't see how they will get them in the next few hours
Also I presume there will be no airstrikes on the 20% or so of the city isis has due to civilians?
The journalist (Ghaith Abdul-Ahad), who was embedded in Shia militia would disagree with you. He actually stated, that these guys are heavily radicalised to the point where ethnic cleansing of contested areas is acceptable.
Next few hours is an exaggeration. This battle could last weeks. Plus the Peshmerga have apparently sent military aid, I don't know how long it will take to reach though.
I don't know about the civilians in those areas tbh, there might not even be any as they may have been evacuated when there were clashes.
Air strikes seem to be cutting off supply routes to Kobane via Raqqa. Maybe the size of reinforcements will fall, leaving those in the town and surrounding parts alone. Let's see what happens.
It's a sad religion that can somehow justify this type of behaviour.
Has the PM of Turkey plucked up courage to tackle ISIS alone yet, or is he still saying that the whole of the Turkish army is not strong enough to manage to take on a nearby town with some fighters in it.
This has happened in many religions.
It has, but mainly in the past. That's why it's sad to see that it is still happening in some today.
Yeah , Bashar only kills children with chemicals. he's still got some heart compared to those " Sunni" bastards !!
I'm not sure how the aid will get there
Isn't the city blocked off east west and south with the north being the turkey boarder.
Will the Turks let stuff through because I don't see isis letting it through.
Wish the Turks would just roll the tanks in but I can't see it happening