by Stephen Lendman

In an article discussing ISIS’ revenue sources, The Times reported nothing about Washington’s involvement in creating the terror group, arming, funding, training and directing its fighters, as well as facilitating its revenue producing sources, largely from stolen Syrian and Iraqi oil - typical of how the self-styled “newspaper of record” deceives and betrays its readers.

ISIS “wrings every last American dollar, Iraqi dinar and Syrian pound it can from those who live under its control or pass through its territory,” said The Times.

Interviews with individuals aware of its operations “describe the group as exacting tolls and traffic tickets; rent for government buildings; utility bills for water and electricity; taxes on income, crops and cattle; and fines for smoking or wearing the wrong clothes.”

It derives revenues from “smuggling oil, plundering bank vaults, looting antiquities, ransoming kidnapped foreigners and drumming up donations from wealthy supporters in the Persian Gulf…”

Stolen Iraqi and Syrian oil provide its main revenue source. The Times claims it’s from “the people it rules and the businesses it controls.”

It lied saying Washington now “more aggressively target(s) (its) oil production and smuggling operations” in the wake of the November 13 Paris false flag - ludicrously claiming it “held off (earlier) for fear of inflicting long-term damage to the Iraqi and Syrian economies.”

Fact: US airstrikes in Syria and Iraq exclusively target infrastructure and government facilities, including oil areas under Syrian control and power stations.

Fact: Since US bombing began last year, zero ISIS targets were struck in both countries. Claims otherwise are Big Lies.

Fact: ISIS strength depends on support gotten from America, Turkey, other NATO countries, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, and other regional rogue states - along with oil and other sources of revenues these countries facilitate by not intervening against them.

Fact: Without external support and ability to generate large amounts of illegal revenues, ISIS would shrivel to no more than an irritant or nuisance.

Instead of explaining ISIS’ origin and outside support as well as continually enlisting new recruits, The Times perpetuates the myth of “American and European (countries) struggling to cut the group’s revenues.”

Truth is polar opposite. Defeating ISIS depends on stopping US-led Western and regional support. Don’t expect The Times to explain - supporting all US imperial wars and others planned, ignoring the horrors they inflict.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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