US-Led Coalition Forces Launch Strikes On Profitable IS-Controlled Oil Field In Syria
Source: Associated Press
Oct 22, 2:51 PM EDT
BAGHDAD (AP) -- U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq and Syria carried out a large-scale attack on Syria's Omar oil field as part of its mission to target the Islamic State group's ability to generate money, a coalition spokesman said Thursday.
Operations officer Maj. Michael Filanowski told journalists in Baghdad that airstrikes late Wednesday struck IS-controlled oil refineries, command and control centers and transportation nodes in the Omar oil field near the town of Deir el-Zour. Coalition spokesman Col. Steven Warren said the attack hit 26 targets, making it one of the largest set of strikes since launching the air campaign last year.
The refinery generates between $1.7 and $5.1 million per month for the Islamic State group.
"It was very specific targets that would result in long-term incapacitation of their ability to sell oil, to get it out of the ground and transport it," Filanowski said.
Read more: http://www.newser.com/article/53760629fe1d49cfa804b23d80d0ea33/us-led-coalition-forces-launch-strikes-on-profitable-is-controlled-oil-field-in-syria.html
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)Why did we stop fighting ISIS, and why have we suddenly started fighting them again?
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)smknz
(30 posts)We're not trying to fight ISIS. Typical of this whole assault on Syria, we are destroying Syrian infrastructure so they remain a crippled state for decades. The only reason we didn't destroy the refinery's before was because was felt that a client government (ISIS, Al Nusra Front, etc) could be put in and they would need the refineries to rebuild the society. Now that it looks as if the rebels are going to lose, we are destroying the infrastructure so Assad and his people can't use them.
This whole war was never about liberating anyone. It was always primarily about controlling Syria with a friendly regime so the Saudi's could develop an alternative route for their oil to Europe through Syria via Turkey. The second objective was to remove Russia as a presence in the middle east while further isolating Iran. The western powers couldn't care less about the Syrian people.
uawchild
(2,208 posts)"Real estate mogul and 2016 GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would bomb the hell out of oil sites he says are controlled by the Islamic State terrorist group and then get oil companies to go in and rebuild them."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/9/donald-trump-id-bomb-hell-out-oil-fields/
===============
It's stuff like this that makes Trump a bigger threat in a general election than a lot of people wish to acknowledge. He manages to get out populist/patriotic/racist soundbites offering simplistic solutions that resonate with a certain strata of voters. It's closer than I thought and the trend is heading in the wrong direction. Democrats need to counter Trump's faux-populism NOW.
HuffPost Model Estimate
Hillary Clinton 45.9%
Donald Trump 43.7%
Undecided
CONFIDENCE OF LEAD The probability that Clinton leads Trump is 88%.
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)And now we're suddenly doing it again. tRump isn't espousing a new idea here. It just LOOKS new because we pretty much ignored this angle for a while.
jamzrockz
(1,333 posts)are we going to start sanctioning countries that allow trade with ISIS? Won't that be better than bombing Syrian infrastructure that they would need to make money once Russia has finished helping em get rid of ISIS infestation?
This is why even Iraq is trying to get Russia's help with fighting ISIS. American would destroy their whole oil infrastructure if it was left to them.
CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)but the US and UK refused.
Russia asked for Isis to be put on the terrorist sanctions list as a separate entity. However, they are still classed as part of Al Qaeda. Which is weird, because Al Qaeda is now classed as the "moderate" rebels. So something doesn't quite add up.
4dsc
(5,787 posts)as if we didn't know this information 6 months ago.
daleo
(21,317 posts)So, there should be no disagreements on this strategy, from any of the warring parties.
frizzled
(509 posts)nt