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audio, stills, text and or video: Go to zReportage.com to see more - At an artisanal oil field in Syria, trucks line up daily to load crude sold cheaply by Islamic State militants who now control parts of the country's oil industry in their plan to build a caliphate. the US-led coalition conducting airstrikes in Syria began targeting these small scale oil refineries under the control of militants from Islamic State (IS). IS has seized land in war ravaged Syria and also in Iraq, and, funded by oil sales, is creating its own economy. Islamic State makes bargains with local traders, including businessmen who support Syrian President Assad, and in turn making its way back to government buyers. The US military estimated that 'the refineries generated as much as $2 million per day in revenue for IS'. 'These small-scale refineries, producing between 300 and 500 barrels of refined petroleum per day, provide fuel to run ISIL operations, money to finance their continued attacks throughout Iraq and Syria, and they are an economic asset to support future operations.' Lacking knowledge in refining oil means that most of Islamic State's revenues come from direct sales to local smugglers and traders. IS resell the mainly light crude to refiners across rebel held parts of Syria at an average of $18 per barrel. Oil sales mean Islamic State, an al Qaeda splinter group, need rely less on foreign donations and draw more recruits and supporters via its wealth from oil sales. (Credit image: © Yann Renoult/Maxppp//zReportage.com via ZUMA Press)
© zReportage.com Story of the Week # 554 - War Profiteers - Launched November 25, 2014 - Full multimedia experience: audio, stills, text and or video: Go to zReportage.com to see more - At an artisanal oil field in Syria, trucks line up daily to load crude sold cheaply by Islamic State militants who now control parts of the country's oil industry in their plan to build a caliphate. the US-led coalition conducting airstrikes in Syria began targeting these small scale oil refineries under the control of militants from Islamic State (IS. IS has seized land in war ravaged Syria and also in Iraq, and, funded by oil sales, is creating its own economy. Islamic State makes bargains with local traders, including businessmen who support Syrian President Assad, and in turn making its way back to government buyers. The US military estimated that 'the refineries generated as much as $2 million per day in revenue for IS'. 'These small-scale refineries, producing between 300 and 500 barrels of refined petroleum per day, provide fuel to run ISIL operations, money to finance their continued attacks throughout Iraq and Syria, and they are an economic asset to support future operations.' Lacking knowledge in refining oil means that most of Islamic State's revenues come from direct sales to local smugglers and traders. IS resell the mainly light crude to refiners across rebel held parts of Syria at an average of $18 per barrel. Oil sales mean Islamic State, an al Qaeda splinter group, need rely less on foreign donations and draw more recruits and supporters via its wealth from oil sales. (Credit image: © Yann Renoult/Maxppp//zReportage.com via ZUMA Press

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Award winning ZUMA Press Contributing Photographers and Newspaper partners. (Credit Image: © ZUMAPRESS.com):554

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