1. #1
    jjgold
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    How ISIS made $2 billion 2014

    NEW YORK — We know — in surprising detail — how ISIS pays for its reign of terror.

    ISIS buys bombs and pays fighters with the billions of dollars it makes from the oil fields, mineral mines, and banks under its control. ISIS also imposes taxes on the people living inside its territory in Iraq and Syria.

    ISIS raked in $2 billion in 2014 alone.

    CNNMoney has interviewed military scholars and financial investigators, and it has reviewed dozens of reports from ISIS, the U.S. Treasury, Defense Department, United Nations, British government, and several terrorism research institutes.

    Together, they show why ISIS is so powerful. It ditched Al-Qaeda's old model of relying on rich donors in the Arabian Gulf. Instead, the Islamic State is a self-funded powerhouse.

    ISIS subsidizes bread for the public, experts say. Soldiers earn $400 to $1,200 a month, plus a $50 stipend for their wives and $25 for each child, according to the Congressional Research Service. Highly skilled engineers and technicians can make upwards of $1,500 a month, according to an investigative team of UN researchers.

    "The Islamic State is certainly the best financially endowed terrorist organization in history. That is particularly due to its ability to govern ungoverned spaces," said Andreas Krieg, a military scholar at King's College London in Qatar.

    Here's how ISIS pays for it all.

    Taxes: $360 million-plus a year

    A huge amount of the money comes from the 8 million civilians who live and work in territory taken over by ISIS soldiers. Everything in the Islamic State is taxed. According to the Geneva Centre for Security Policy:

    Income tax: 10 percent Business tax: 10 percent-15 percent Sales tax: 2 percent All bank cash withdrawals: 5 percent Pharmaceutical drugs: 10 percent-35 percent

    ISIS says all taxes are zakat, Islamic religious alms similar to a Christian tithe.

    But ISIS also extorts its residents at every corner. Schoolchildren must pay monthly fees: $22 for elementary students, $43 for older kids and $65 for university students, according to congressional researchers. These are fees residents didn't have to pay before.

    It costs anywhere from $200 to $1,000 to bribe ISIS guards when traveling on Iraqi roads into their territory, according to congressional researchers.

    There's even a special tax on Christians, mafia-like "protection insurance" called jizyah. The Islamic State's official magazine proudly speaks of "imposing jizyah."

    ISIS has also figured out how to apply special taxes to siphon money away from the legitimate Iraqi government, according to the Financial Action Task Force, which tracks terrorist financing. There are Iraqi government employees living in the northern part of the country that ISIS has taken over. ISIS lets these workers go to the nearby city of Tikrit to pick up their salaries. But they pay a 50% income tax on the way back into ISIS territory.

    And if you try to leave ISIS land, say, to visit family? The Islamic State demands a $1,000 departure tax and temporarily claims all of your property -- just in case you plan to plan to leave permanently, according to the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

    Altogether, these taxes and fees brought in $360 million in 2014, according to a study by terrorism experts Jean-Charles Brisard and Damien Martinez. They estimate it could be even higher in 2015 — as much as $800 million.

    ISIS can also squeeze money out of the many businesses operating in that region. ISIS controls one-third of Iraq's wheat and barley, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. It frequently steals agricultural machines and rents it back to farmers.

    The terrorists also took over a huge phosphate mine, phosphate and sulfur plants, and cement-making facilities. Together, they can produce upwards of $1.3 billion a year, according to Brisard and Martinez. ISIS can claim some or all of that, potentially doubling or tripling its tax and extortion revenue.

    "ISIS's most valuable asset and center of gravity is the terrain it holds in Iraq and Syria. Taking that territory away ... is the most vital thing we can do," said Harleen Gambhir, a military scholar at the Institute for the Study of War.

    Oil: $500 million a year

    ISIS has hijacked oil wells and refineries. But it doesn't have the expertise or equipment to properly manage it at full capacity.

    Numbers are all over the place. But the best estimates say ISIS in 2014 was producing close to 50,000 barrels per day, less than half the region's potential. And it was still raking in up to $1.6 million daily, according to the UN.

    International sanctions prevented ISIS from selling this oil legally, so it has resorted to unregulated underground markets. But that's not hard. ISIS tapped into long-established smuggling routes that were set up back in the 1990s. Back then, Saddam Hussein used them to circumvent United Nations sanctions.

    ISIS draws crude oil from captured wells. It sells that to middlemen at a quarter of the market price. When oil was at $80 a barrel last year, ISIS was selling it at $20 a barrel, according to the Financial Action Task Force.

    ISIS is selling oil to its enemies. Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad needs oil to keep lights on his part of the country. U.S.-backed Syrian rebels need diesel to keep engines running.

    ISIS doesn't mind literally fueling its enemies for now, because its goal is to keep funding the expansion of the Islamic State — in any direction — said Christina Schori Liang, senior fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

    "They have to keep the war economy going, because they don't have legitimate economies," she said. "The problem with war is everything is very blurry. They fight in the day and make deals at night."

    Last week, Russia publicly accused the Turkish government of tacitly allowing an illegal oil trade that brings $1.5 million of oil into Turkey every day. Turkey's president denied those claims.

    While oil is still an important source of ISIS income, it's no longer number one, according to the U.S. Defense Department. The U.S.-led coalition airstrikes that started in September 2014 have severely crippled the ability for ISIS to transport and refine oil. 8,573 strikes have hit 260 "oil infrastructure" targets, as well as thousands of fighters, buildings and equipment, according to the Defense Department. In October, they helped the Iraqi army take back the huge Bayji refinery from ISIS.

    Without massive refinery facilities, ISIS has resorted to using small, mobile refineries that can produce up to 500 barrels per day. But the coalition is bombing those too. In the 45 days leading up to Oct. 21, remotely-piloted drones, U.S. bombers and Saudi jets hit 30 of them.

    Now, ISIS can only produce and smuggle a fraction of what it used to. Rock-bottom oil prices limit that revenue even further.

    Bank looting: $500 million to $1 billion

    When ISIS gains new territory, it claims control of banks. In 2014, the Islamic State stole up to $1 billion from banks this way, according to the U.S. Treasury. "Importantly, though, this source of revenue is not renewable," a Treasury representative said.

    But that one-time injection of money made ISIS the wealthiest terrorist organization on the planet.

    ISIS treats private banks and state banks differently. It's trying to build a functioning country, so it needs to maintain some sense of normalcy for the people stuck there. For example, ISIS doesn't touch the money in private banks -- it would rather tax that cash as people withdraw it.

    But Iraq's central bank branches get looted. When ISIS overran the Iraqi city of Mosul last year, it seized an estimated $450 million in cash and gold from the central bank branch there.

    ISIS now claims it's using gold to mint its own gold coin currency.

    Kidnapping ransoms: $20 million to $45 million a year

    American journalist James Foley was kidnapped in 2012, and ISIS demanded $132 million. It wanted $200 million for two Japanese hostages, Kenji Goto Jogo and Haruna Yukawa. Neither country paid, and both were murdered on video.

    Most countries stick to a UN resolution to not fund terrorists this way — under any circumstances.

    It's an agonizing decision to make. Don't pay, and family members watch loved ones die. Pay up, and you buy terrorists weapons that kill thousands more. Plus, you give incentive for them to do it again.

    But some nations do pay ransoms. One by one, Foley's cell mates in Raqqa, Syria were released because their countries paid for them. French, Italian and Spanish hostages were freed, according to a New York Times investigation last year.

    ISIS collected $20 million to $45 million this way in 2014, according to the U.S. Treasury.

    But the vast majority of people kidnapped and tortured aren't foreign aid workers and journalists. They're local Assyrian Christians and Yazidi people.

    Yazidis live in the region and have their own religion. ISIS punishes them for not being Sunni Muslim. ISIS regularly grabs Yazidi family members, then demands $3,000 payments overnight, according to the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. ISIS has kidnapped hundreds of Assyrian Christians, sometimes releasing them for $1,700 each, according to AFP.

    "Kidnap-for-ransom" is a less lucrative part of the ISIS terror business. But its corporate approach to this — and everything else — is just another sign the Islamic State is living up to its name, said Ola Johan Kaldager. He's a retired intelligence officer who started E-14, Norway's equivalent of the CIA special operations team.

    "We are always talking about the Islamic State as a terrorist organization. But we have to talk about them as a state. It's a state now," Kaldager said. "They have their own economy, border control, customs, taxation. These make it very hard to get rid of them in the near future."

  2. #2
    kidcudi92
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    TL DR

    Smuggling Oil through Turkey

    Anyways

  3. #3
    JMobile
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    JJ, is there anyway you can say all that in one sentence?

  4. #4
    flyingillini
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    JJ, did those welts ever go away from the leather swing you were suspended in? I remember those huge red welts on the back of your ass were pretty deep. JJ , download viber. I need to talk to you.

  5. #5
    The Kraken
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidcudi92 View Post
    TL DR

    Smuggling Oil through Turkey

    Anyways
    They're backed by the Saudis, they don't need to smuggle oil through Turkey

    I'm not saying they don't, but they certainly don't need to

    It's well known that SA funnels billions to Sunni radicals

  6. #6
    Killer_Demo
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    Stack up on,ammo. I suggest pdx1 in .40 or .45

  7. #7
    paco
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    Isis made jack shit. Isis was paid by America and Israel in the hundreds of millions. Don't be a minion

  8. #8
    paco
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Kraken View Post
    They're backed by the Saudis, they don't need to smuggle oil through Turkey

    I'm not saying they don't, but they certainly don't need to

    It's well known that SA funnels billions to Sunni radicals
    Why would they need to be funded by SA when U.S. Created them and funding them❄️

  9. #9
    The Kraken
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    The formation of ISIS is multifactorial, not one single entity created them nor funds them. Both SA and the US have done their part in creating and funding ISIS, to the tunes of many of billions of dollars

  10. #10
    paco
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Kraken View Post
    The formation of ISIS is multifactorial, not one single entity created them nor funds them. Both SA and the US have done their part in creating and funding ISIS, to the tunes of many of billions of dollars
    Kraken u are smart, u are not a puppet that goes by media. U know whO CREATED isis

  11. #11
    kidcudi92
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Kraken View Post
    They're backed by the Saudis, they don't need to smuggle oil through Turkey

    I'm not saying they don't, but they certainly don't need to

    It's well known that SA funnels billions to Sunni radicals
    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-1...keys-president


    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-1...uggling-routes

    Anyways

  12. #12
    paco
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    Kidcucdi, don't u have some rap music and baggy clothes to go try to imitate as u being a wigger and all.



    Carry on, media loves u

  13. #13
    kidcudi92
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    Quote Originally Posted by paco View Post
    Kidcucdi, don't u have some rap music and baggy clothes to go try to imitate as u being a wigger and all.



    Carry on, media loves u
    Don't you have a towel head to wear?

    I post my own photo in my avatar. You just have another pussy covered up face like most of your people.

    Anyways

  14. #14
    The Kraken
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    Care to elaborate?

    I didn't say that they're not smuggling oil through Turkey, I implied that it doesn't matter. That is play money for them. They're not living off that money. The second the Saudi's quit funding ISIS, they die.

    Simple as that.

    You clearly don't understand ISIS, or any of the radical groups in existence right now (hint, there's a lot more than ISIS), how they originated, nor Islamic history. And this much is evident.

    YOu just read an article or two on Zerohedge and have an opinion

  15. #15
    kidcudi92
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Kraken View Post
    Care to elaborate?

    I didn't say that they're not smuggling oil through Turkey, I implied that it doesn't matter. That is play money for them. They're not living off that money. The second the Saudi's quit funding ISIS, they die.

    Simple as that.

    You clearly don't understand ISIS, or any of the radical groups in existence right now (hint, there's a lot more than ISIS), how they originated, nor Islamic history. And this much is evident.

    YOu just read an article or two on Zerohedge and have an opinion
    Yeah, I don't follow Syria at all. I have no clue about al nusra, AQAP, FSA, anything like that. What are those?? I don't even know man.

  16. #16
    ACoochy
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    Quote Originally Posted by paco View Post
    Isis made jack shit. Isis was paid by America and Israel in the hundreds of millions. Don't be a minion
    US went tightarse in paying the mercenaries to fight ISIL...

    ISIL offered more so now those mercenaries are fighting against the west...

  17. #17
    The Kraken
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidcudi92 View Post
    Yeah, I don't follow Syria at all. I have no clue about al nusra, AQAP, FSA, anything like that. What are those?? I don't even know man.
    Congrats on knowing how to use google

    you read zerohedge and have it all figured out

  18. #18
    kidcudi92
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Kraken View Post
    Congrats on knowing how to use google

    you read zerohedge and have it all figured out
    you are the typical loser. I make valid points and you say, good job using google.

  19. #19
    The Kraken
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    Ya, thats the thing, you havent made any points. You posted two links, which Ive explained why theh're basically irrelevant, then you posted a few terms that you likely found on google, again with no point. By all means, post something, anything that can be agreed with or devated, not jist "al nusra feont, free syrian army" blah blah blah

    Reconcile the fact that Saudia Arabia and America are primarily responsible for terrorist cells like IsIS, and that they continue through money from both countries.

  20. #20
    fried cheese
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    ISIS is just another patsy that governments/banks/corporations made to rob the common man. the pentagon loses 8.5 trillion dollars and no one cares.

    paris gov runs a multi-site attack exercise the morning of the paris shooting. london has a subway and bus bombing drill the morning of the london subway/bus bombings at the same time in the same stations. NORAD runs drills for hijacked planes crashing into the twin towers with over 20 phantom planes shown on the radars on 9/11 while the planes were being hijacked and was also running multiple drills which took away most of the planes guarding that area to canada and the south. boston was running a bomb drill the day of the marathon bombing for a bomb at the same place it went off. san bernardino ran an active shooter drill 2 days before at a nearby college and also had swat team drills going on during the attack right by the shooting site. the inland regional center where the shooting happened also ran shooter drills about once a month and one woman was videoing during the shooting with coworkers and they were joking around about it being another drill while they watched their building being stormed by police.

    now this is a gambling site, so what kind of odds could you get for all those drills just being a coincidence with no foreknowledge? history is filled with countries inventing fake reasons to go to war and the US has been caught many times doing this. NATO also had secret government sponsored armies after WW2 that carried out or funded terrorist bombings and shootings against their own ppl in order to frame communists and destroy their political power.
    Points Awarded:

    paco gave fried cheese 10 Betpoint(s) for this post.


  21. #21
    teaserpleaser
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    That's better pay then most us soldiers get when you break down cola ....wtf is a dude who wears Birkenstocks and rags going to do with 1200 + allowances? That's a fortune to them. Not like they live a western lifestyle.

  22. #22
    teaserpleaser
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    That article left out the money generated from when they take over a city and raid government offices and get blank passports and other government docs and sell them. Isis also has their hands in the dope game and sex trafficking ....they're some real gangsters....for real on an elite level.

  23. #23
    rkelly110
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    Quote Originally Posted by fried cheese View Post
    ISIS is just another patsy that governments/banks/corporations made to rob the common man. the pentagon loses 8.5 trillion dollars and no one cares.

    paris gov runs a multi-site attack exercise the morning of the paris shooting. london has a subway and bus bombing drill the morning of the london subway/bus bombings at the same time in the same stations. NORAD runs drills for hijacked planes crashing into the twin towers with over 20 phantom planes shown on the radars on 9/11 while the planes were being hijacked and was also running multiple drills which took away most of the planes guarding that area to canada and the south. boston was running a bomb drill the day of the marathon bombing for a bomb at the same place it went off. san bernardino ran an active shooter drill 2 days before at a nearby college and also had swat team drills going on during the attack right by the shooting site. the inland regional center where the shooting happened also ran shooter drills about once a month and one woman was videoing during the shooting with coworkers and they were joking around about it being another drill while they watched their building being stormed by police.

    now this is a gambling site, so what kind of odds could you get for all those drills just being a coincidence with no foreknowledge? history is filled with countries inventing fake reasons to go to war and the US has been caught many times doing this. NATO also had secret government sponsored armies after WW2 that carried out or funded terrorist bombings and shootings against their own ppl in order to frame communists and destroy their political power.
    Premonitions? Knowing your enemy? What if scenario's? Thinking like your enemy?

    Not saying there aren't false flags. I think the reason none of the other countries in the middle east aren't fighting
    IS is because they are funding them. Maybe they want Iraq's oil and land, are using IS as mercenaries.

    Yes, if America would keep their fukking nose out of the region, there would be peace and harmony.
    Middle east has been run by ruthless dictators for thousands of years. All of a sudden we are wanting dictators out
    to push our democracy agenda. (to control the region)

  24. #24
    jjgold
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    2 Billion is a hell of a business
    Has to be ways to cut their cash flow

  25. #25
    grease lightnin
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    Collecting taxes has always been the biggest business.

  26. #26
    MUHerd37
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    Obama refuses to bomb their oil business because he's worried about environmental damage. Yet that fukkin pussy goes on tv to talk about how to defeat ISIS.

  27. #27
    teaserpleaser
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    Who formed Isis? Whomever is calling shots maybe it's a panel of sheiks? Whomever it is it is these rural towel wearing motherfukker that keep getting hit with drone strike aren't the brains behind this. Somebody with Real smarts and education in the western world is behind this you can tell. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a hand in blood diamonds to be honest.

  28. #28
    teaserpleaser
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    Quote Originally Posted by MUHerd37 View Post
    Obama refuses to bomb their oil business because he's worried about environmental damage. Yet that fukkin pussy goes on tv to talk about how to defeat ISIS.
    There is no defeating Isis....why is nobody talking about that. World will be fighting them until the end of time. They're like a a nightmare you kill 3 it makes the news now you have hundreds more...nightmare opponent.

  29. #29
    jjgold
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    If you cut their money supply you cut ISIS

    It is a big reason why they survive

  30. #30
    teaserpleaser
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    Quote Originally Posted by jjgold View Post
    If you cut their money supply you cut ISIS

    It is a big reason why they survive
    How do you do that jj? Cut the oil that's one but then what? what about the ones I mentioned that you can't cut without boots there. They'll always have funding as long as there are wealthy Muslims. I'm pretty sure they aren't concerned with funding running out. You can forget about that one let's try again.

  31. #31
    MoeSedway
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    Quote Originally Posted by paco View Post
    Isis made jack shit. Isis was paid by America and Israel in the hundreds of millions. Don't be a minion
    Joooooooooooooooooooooooooooooos! Never change, Paco. Never change.


  32. #32
    teaserpleaser
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    Quote Originally Posted by jjgold View Post
    If you cut their money supply you cut ISIS

    It is a big reason why they survive
    Every organized crime organization dreams of going legit ....Isis is a little different but don't kid yourself they most likely have legit clean cash flow in the western world with front men....matter of fact I'm sure of it. Balling out of control.

  33. #33
    Scorpion
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Kraken View Post
    The formation of ISIS is multifactorial, not one single entity created them nor funds them. Both SA and the US have done their part in creating and funding ISIS, to the tunes of many of billions of dollars
    bingo
    Damascus Says US-Led Coalition Is Bombing Syrian Troops, Not ISIS

    http://russia-insider.com/en/politic...t-isis/ri11699

  34. #34
    Scorpion
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    its about energy resources, gas, oil, and pipelines from SA and Qatar to Europe through Syria, but Asad said no... Russia can't lose its biggest buyers thats why they are now in Syria, big mess

  35. #35
    DwightShrute
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