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ISIS sees cash cow in capture of Iraqi oil fields


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ISIS sees cash cow in capture of Iraqi oil fields
 

 

iraq-oil.jpg

WASHINGTON – The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, is targeting Iraq’s oil fields as part of its plan to raise revenue and build its caliphate infrastructure.

The move makes it unlikely the ISIS would destroy the fields, unless the Iraqi military regroups and attempts to recapture them.

In addition to the oil and natural gas field in the Sunni-controlled region of Iraq, ISIS is about to capture the Balad Air Base just north of Baghdad where U.S. F-16s were slated to be based. ISIS is advancing on the Haditha Dam, which produces power and controls the flow of water to the south into the Shiite-controlled region of Iraq.

As a result of its blitzkrieg moves from Syria into Iraq in recent weeks, ISIS has virtual control over Iraq’s largest oil refinery, the Bayji facility in Salahaddin province. In Syria, the jihadist group has taken control of the Al Omar oil field in Deir al Zour province near the town of Al Mayadin.

The gains are in addition to its takeover of the Ajeel oil wells east of deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit. Along with the oil wells, ISIS has captured a natural gas field called Ajeel.

All of this has sources convinced ISIS is targeting Iraq’s oil infrastructure. If ISIS proceeds south, it then would be in a position to capture the oil fields in that region of the country as well as in Kuwait, both of which provide oil for the world economy.

For ISIS, these oil fields are revenue generators. In addition, control over the flow of water into the south puts additional pressure on the Shiite government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

For these reasons, it’s likely ISIS won’t destroy the air base, oil wells or the Haditha Dam. That could change if the Iraqi military regroups and attempts to take back the facilities, but that appears unlikely for now.

ISIS sees all of the facilities as part of its grand plan not only to raise revenue but help in building a caliphate subject to strict Islamic, or Shariah, law.

The vision by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is to create an Islamic caliphate. It would stretch from the Mediterranean through Mesopotamia, or modern-day Iraq, which also includes the countries of Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and even Israel, an area once referred to as Greater Syria.

As ISIS takes control of the region, it can help ensure a following by using oil revenue to finance social programs and restore public services.

In many instances, ISIS has been able to get electricity and water resources functioning again in towns it now occupies and create a series of social programs to provide other essential needs for the population.

The ISIS targeting of the oil fields is reminiscent of the U.S. priority in 2003 to revitalize the oil industry for foreign investors once the Iraqi government was back in friendly hands. However, there were little or no plans for post-war reconstruction.

Indeed, the Bush administration had intentions of partitioning Iraq into three autonomous areas for Sunnis, Kurds and Shiites.

In 2002, however, the private U.S. intelligence firm Stratfor questioned the approach, predicting it would lead to a fracturing of the country.

“The new government’s attempts to establish control over all of Iraq may well lead to a civil war between Sunni, Shia and Kurdish ethnic groups. … The fiercest fighting could be expected for control over the oil facilities.”

This is precisely what is occurring today with the ISIS blitzkrieg across Iraq.

The U.S. strategy in developing the oil fields for future world sales, however, assumed U.S. troops would remain for generations as they did in Germany after World War II.

However, in less than 10 years, U.S. troops were removed from Iraq, creating a power vacuum that has brought the sectarian groups to what now amounts to a civil war.

In 2002, Stratfor predicted such an event if Iraq were split along sectarian lines.

“After eliminating Iraq as a sovereign state, there would be no fear that one day an anti-American government would come to power in Baghdad, as the capital would be in Amman (Jordan). Current and potential U.S. geopolitical foes Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria would be isolated from each other with big chunks of land between them under control of the pro-U.S. forces,” Stratfor said.

“Equally important, Washington would be able to justify its long-term and heavy military presence in the region as necessary for the defense of a young new state asking for U.S. protection – and to secure the stability of oil markets and supplies. That in turn would help the United States gain direct control of Iraqi oil and replace Saudi oil in case of conflict with Riyadh.”

Today, however, it is ISIS that controls the oil fields and could head into southern Iraq to take the country’s other oil and natural gas fields and threaten Saudi Arabia.

The prospect raises concern over who would control world oil production and its price – the markets, or ISIS.

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The longer the US waits the more prepared the insurgents are at defending and accomplishing their goal.  WE NEED LEADERSHIP NOT ARROGANCE AND SELF PRESERVATION OF AN EGO FROM OUR COMMANDER AND CHIEF!! 

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I question what is going on right now . Is this an invasion by Isis ? Or is this the returning of land belonging to certain groups of people (what was promised in article 140 and has already taken place in Kirkuk and Kurdistan)under the guise of an Isis invasion. With ALL the countries invested in Iraq .ALL the money spent. Battles fought . The world would not just sit back and let an insurgency erase everything so many sacrificed for . I feel it could be possible Isis and Pershmerga are fighting the wars we would otherwise have to fight ourselves. I could be wrong . But I see too much going on not to feel this way

Edited by blueskyline
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That's a pretty good analysis

Ya never know over there

Saddams baathe party has to live somewhere

It's either kill them or they live somewhere

I don't think many other country's are trying to gain them as citizens in their own country

Look at the Kurds

No one wants them anywhere unless they obey the laws of the land

We will see who lives and if the do live , we will see where they live and how much the federal govt is willing to give them from now on

It seems like the more ya give them the more weapons they stock pile to use against the federal govt in the future

So I'm sure if they are allowed to live in Iraq

Their not going to be giving them much more than survival monetarily

Burn me once shame on them

Burn me twice shame on me

Damn sure ya don't want them to have trillions of dollars worth of oil to finance a long drawn out war against yourself

You want to be able to call the shots on oil exports out of your country

The federal govt would be foolish to give up control of the oil in Iraq

The oil belongs to all citizens and parliment is the body of govt that takes care of all citizens

Not local govts

Control the oil or blow up the pipelines

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Caye98 I've read so many articles I don't remember the title that's why I was asking the question. I know I read this last week or earlier this week. The press stated that the oil fields were not in jeopardy. Under the control of peshmerga forces.????? :)

Does any of the news hounds no which article I'm referring to is?

Edited by jobug38
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