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How does the Islamic State, a ragtag band of jihadis who are supposedly at war with the combined military might of the US, Turkey, the Saudis, the Russians, the Iraqis, the Iranians and many others (including, of course, the Syrians) manage to fund and coordinate spectacular international terror attacks, including not only the Paris attack, but also (apparently) bombings in Turkey and Lebanon, and the take down of Russian airliners? How is it that governments can flag and track the "suspicious" financial transactions of anyone withdrawing or transferring over $10,000 from their own bank account, but can't seem to find a way to restrict cash flows, arms and munitions to a geographically isolated enemy who are dependent on oil sales for their financial survival?
Good question. Just don't ask the US State Department spokesman those questions, because he doesn't have the answers. When asked earlier this week by RT's Gayane Chichakyan "whether the US has sanctioned any banks suspected of carrying out transactions for ISIL," department spokesman Mark Toner responded with a resounding: "I'd have to look into that. I don't have the answer in front of me."
Apparently the question of how ISIS is financing its operations is of so little interest to the State Department that they haven't bothered to look into it. So in the interest of helping them out with their homework, let's connect a few dots, shall we?
[More after the break.]
Earlier this year it was revealed that French President François Hollande had authorized illegal shipments of arms to the Syrian terrorists in 2012. The deliveries–including cannons, machine guns, rocket launchers and anti-tank missiles–were in direct contravention of an EU embargo that was in place at the time.
In late 2012 it was revealed that one of the most prominent backers of the Syrian terrorists was the French government, who in addition to their illegal arms shipments were also delivering money directly to the terrorist opposition leaders.
Last year the French arms export industry enjoyed its best sales in 15 years, with revenues up 18%. The reason for the Merchant of Death bonanza? A spike in sales to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two of the main funders and supporters of ISIS.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 23 2015, @05:59PM
Yup, there's only one set of rebels against the Syrian regime.
No, there is like 2 or 3, all pretty much the same as ISIL. Except maybe the Kurds - the actual sane party in that mess. But Kurds fighting ISIL are still terrorists group as per Turkey - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan_Workers%27_Party [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_opposition#/media/File:Syrian_civil_war.png [wikipedia.org]
http://cartoonistgroup.com/store/add.php?iid=116905 [cartoonistgroup.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by zocalo on Monday November 23 2015, @06:15PM
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 4, Informative) by VLM on Monday November 23 2015, @06:16PM
The Turks are just spreading propaganda. About 1 in 4 people in Turkey are Kurds and the majority Turks hate the Kurds and would ethnically cleanse them if they could.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurds_in_Turkey [wikipedia.org]
The situation is perfectly analogous to the Armenian Genocide where the same people in the same country are trying to get rid of minorities yet pretend they are not and anything that might have happened was all the victim's fault anyway and its none of the worlds business.
The Turks are basically genocidal bloodthirsty madmen, historically. Today, well, hard to say for sure. But I wouldn't trust anything they say about the Kurds.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 23 2015, @11:01PM
The relationship between the Turks and the Kurds is good bit more involved. For example, it was the Kurds who fought alongside the Turks to preserve what's left of Ottoman Empire into modern Turkey.
Do you know that it's the Kurds, Armenians' blood enemy since the ancient times, that mostly carried out the dirty work of exiling and killing the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire? It's notable that some Kurdish scholars openly concede it was a genocide against Armenians, acknowledging the Kurds' part in it.
You comment is ignorant, not informative. SN should consider adding "ignorant" moderation.