Terrorism in the 21st century has reached incredible
heights. Day after day, newspaper headlines revolve around chaos in the Middle
East. These days, news related to terrorism has become extremely
predictable. It begins with reporting the estimations of an attack, and then
moves on to the outfit claiming responsibility for it. In every article you
will come across a senior official from a western security agency, proclaiming
that “extreme measures are being taken to eradicate terrorism”. But isn’t that
a laughable joke in itself?
Off late, global terrorism has been given a completely new
meaning by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The much condemned
terror outfit is making rapid progress with every passing day. Firstly, ISIS is
a Wahhabi jihadist Islamic extremist militant group, hell bent on creating an Islamic
State in regions in and around Iraq and Syria. ISIS was initially dismissed as “just
another terror outfit” but today, this organization has even surpassed Al Qaeda
and Taliban. The fighters of this organization are equipped with the latest
arms and ammunition. As per sources, these weapons are more advanced than the
ones in possession of government security agencies.
But the main question is, how is ISIS achieving its goals so
quickly? The answer to that is the ocean of finance surrounding the dreaded
group. As a matter of fact, ISIS has made terrorism look like an extremely
lucrative business activity. It is the richest terrorist organization by a
distance, and its overall capitalization stands at a staggering $2 billion. The
daily revenues generated by ISIS are rumored to be close to $3 million/day. With
such financial numbers by their side, it won’t be a surprise if ISIS soon begins
aerial attacks.
There are various sources to garner this amount. The biggest
asset of this terror organization is oil. Their fighters have captured numerous
oil fields in Syria and Iraq, and currently, they are the undisputed owners of
the oil refineries. Oil dealers, looking to exploit the commodity at a dirt
cheap rate get in touch with the ISIS officials. The officials are believed to
be selling a barrel of oil anywhere in the range of $10-$35. The buyers or
traders, sell this at a much higher rate to middle men, who in return mark up
their own profit and distribute it to their respective buyers. The oil is even
said to be sold across the border in Turkey at $12.5/ barrel, where the oil
rates are reasonably high ($56.75/ barrel).
A map showing the oil fields captured by ISIS
Members of the secret police of this organization are austere
in defending the captured oilfields. The individuals within the cell of the
secret police ensure that the daily targets for oil extraction and sales are met.
These individuals have literally developed a system of meeting their goals,
like a well structured shell corporation would. ISIS is adapting economics with
terrorism agonizingly well. What’s more, special mentions are made towards the
productivity in oil extraction, by high ranking members of the group!
Another path of financing its barbaric activities is through
kidnappings and ransoms. Between 2008 and 2014, ISIS generated about $125
million only through demanding ransoms. The cruelty with which they intimidate
their victims acts as a deterrent to those who resist the demands of the
kidnappers. After plundering the central bank in the Iraqi city of Mosul, ISIS
generated approximately $429 million worth of income. With $429 million, ISIS has
the resources to pay 60,000 fighters $600/month for a whole year!
Oil distribution network of the ISIS
To amplify their wealth, the terror state also receives
bulky donations from states in the Middle East. Officials from the Iranian government
have time and again blamed Saudi Arabia for financing the needs of ISIS. Qatar
however, has been the worst offender in this case. ISIS also levies heavy
taxation on people living in their controlled territory. The taxes are said to
be levied on citizens for using roads and highways controlled by ISIS.
Their satanic acts don’t just cease here! ISIS also has been
blamed in sexual trafficking of young women to numerous countries. Russian
President Vladimir Putin recently revealed that ISIS was even being funded by
G-20 nations. With so many ways of generating money, ISIS intends to establish
its own currency in the years to come.
The progress of ISIS is indeed a colossal threat to humanity
as a whole, as it can soon spread its wings to major parts of the globe. It is
high time for the world to unite against this Caliphate, before even more
disastrous consequences come to the fore.
