For the first time since the beginning of anti-terrorist operations in Syria and Iraq appeared indisputable evidence of serious financial problems on the territory controlled by DAYS. This situation is primarily the result of air strikes on the places of oil extraction, and cash stores that use terrorists.
Oil production has declined by about a third, the total revenue of oil business in DAYS fell by 50% due to the drop in world oil prices, and reduce the ability to produce and sell goods such as gasoline. In addition, the group has lost a significant number of processing facilities and direct access to dealers on the black market in Syria and southern Turkey.
On 25 March, the TV channel NBC reported that Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Kaduli, also known as Haji Imam, was killed during one of the March counter-terrorism operations. He was considered the second most important commander in DAYS responsible for funding groups and economic policy in the territory controlled by the rebels. “For the first time can confidently talk about the financial war against DAISH,” said Daniel Glaser (Daniel Glaser), Deputy head of the U.S. Treasury responsible for combating the financing of terrorism.
Due to the fact that in the past few months, DISH lost a significant portion of their territories (for the past year as a result of military defeats, the territory of this self-proclaimed Caliphate declined by approximately 40%) objectively reduced and opportunities for terrorist groups to collect taxes from civilians. Unlike al-Qaida, which has received significant funds from foreign donors in this article is “income” for DAYS is not significant. DAYS gets most of their income within their territory through extortion and other criminal schemes, as well as through taxes, various fines levied on local residents and the business owners, the use of natural resources, whether oil, wheat, or water.
As writes The Times, citing sources in “the Caliphate”, compared with conquests beginning of last year, DAYS lost more than 40% of territories in Iraq and 20% in Syria. This trend has intensified this year, especially after the announcement of the armistice.
However it should be noted that after major upheavals, DAISH has previously recovered. Its leaders are able to fairly quickly find ways to overcome various obstacles, in this connection a number of experts agree that today it would be premature to agree with the US claims about the success of attempts to inflict serious damage to the financial infrastructure of the terrorist organization. We must not forget that the terrorists are still owned 60% of Syrian oil wells and 5% of Iraqi. In addition, the task is to disrupt funding of DAYS proved to be difficult for the U.S. and its allies. Partly because of the economic independence of DAYS, and also due to the huge amount of money that its fighters managed to acquire after capturing several large Iraqi cities in 2014 (by some estimates amounting to more than $ 700 million) that suddenly made this group the richest terrorist organization in the world. Today the money is already spent: the rest went to benefit the militants, and the part was destroyed during the recent carefully planned air strikes.
The current lack of money already meant that many Iraqi and Syrian members of DAYS received only half the promised reward, and deserters say that in some units for a few months is not paid a salary. Civilians and business owners on the self-proclaimed home of DAYS complain that they are forced to pay excessively high taxes and put up with the extortions designed to compensate for the lack of money.
The stories of deserters and messages in social networks demonstrate the negative impact of the financial losses DAYS on the current activities of this group, as well as to life in the areas controlled by terrorists. Civilians and foreign mercenaries, leaving the self-proclaimed Caliphate, talk about the shortage of basic commodities, increase penalties for violating conservative dress code, for violations of the Smoking ban and for evasion of prayer.
The deteriorating financial situation of DAYS led to mutual feuds between warlords, who accuse each other of corruption, theft, improper leadership and inept management of the financial assets. This, in turn, significantly undermines the morale of the terrorist organization.
After suffering a series of serious defeats in Iraq and Syria, DAISH declares an emergency mobilization of forces right now, and obviously disorganized.
In these circumstances, the international community must enhance coordination of their struggle with the terrorist organization to achieve even greater success in combating it.
