ISIS: Remaining and Expanding

[David Guyatt]

IS - it's all about oil and gas, silly.

I particularly found the section dealing with the IS oil/gas sanction busting - via Turkey to Israel and thence to Europe, who "pretends" it is Israeli in origin - to be of great interest.

From VoltaireNet:

Behind the anti-terror alibi, the gas war in the Levant

by Thierry Meyssan

Though everyone adheres to Washington and its Gulf allies' anti-terrorist discourse, everyone understands that it is only a rhetorical justification for a war that has other purposes. The United States say they want to destroy the Islamic Emirate which they created and which performs for them the ethnic cleansing necessary to its plan for the remodeling of the "Broader Middle East". Stranger still, they say they want to fight in Syria alongside the moderate opposition which is composed of the same jihadists. Finally, they destroyed Rakka buildings that had been evacuated two days earlier by the Islamic Emirate. For Thierry Meyssan, behind these apparent contradictions the gas war continues.

VOLTAIRE NETWORK | DAMASCUS (SYRIA) | 3 OCTOBER 2014 FRANÇAIS ESPAÑOL POLSKI ITALIANO فارسى РУССКИЙ DEUTSCH PORTUGUÊS عربي TÜRKÇE ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΆ

Ignoring international law, the American president, Barack Obama, fine tunes his aerial bombing campaign in Syria with his allies in the Gulf (New York, September 23, 2014).The US air campaign in Iraq and Syria is puzzling: it is impossible to destroy a terrorist group exclusively by air strikes. In Iraq, the United States and the GCC coupled their actions with those of Iraqi troops and Kurdish ground forces. In Syria, they have no serious force to fight against the Islamic Emirate. And even in this case, "the bombings are not able to affect the capacity of the Islamic Emirate or its operations in other parts of Iraq or Syria," according to General William Mayville, chief of operations at the US Chiefs of Staff. [1]Moreover, and despite official declarations, the Islamic Emirate is a creation of the United States and the GCC, and it unflaggingly serves their interests: In May 2013, Senator John McCain came to Syria illegally to meet the staff of the Free Syrian Army (moderate), including Abu Youssef, also known as Abu Du'a, alias Ibrahim al-Baghdadi, the current caliph Ibrahim (Head of the extremists) [2]. In January 2014, Reuters revealed that President Obama had called a secret session of Congress during which it voted to fund and arm the "rebels" in Syria, including those of the Islamic Emirate until September 2014 [3]. It was indeed a secret session and not just behind closed doors. The entire American press complied with the censorship of this information. Proud of this acknowledgement, Saudi state television clamored the fact that the Islamic Emirate was headed by Prince Abdul Rahman al-Faisal. [4] Meanwhile the head of Israeli military intelligence, General Aviv Kochavi, warned against a proliferation of anti-Syrian fighters and found that members of al-Qaida, including those of the Islamic Emirate (which it had not yet divorced) were trained in three camps in Turkey [under NATO control] located in Şanlıurfa, Osmaniye and Karaman. [5] In May 2014, Saudi Arabia handed over new heavy weapons and quantities of new Toyotas (purchased in Ukraine) to the Islamic Emirate to invade Iraq. The transfer was carried out by a special train chartered by the Turkish secret services. On May 27, Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish regional government in Iraq, went to Amman to coordinate the invasion of Iraq between Iraqi Kurds and the Islamic Emirate. An additional meeting was held, also in Amman, with numerous Sunni partners on June 1. ["PKK revelations on ISIL attack and creation of "Kurdistan"", Voltaire Network, 8 July 2014.]] In early June, the Islamic Emirate and the Local Government of Kurdistan went on the attack. The Islamic Emirate, in accordance with its mission, spread terror in order to accomplish the ethnic cleansing that the US army had been unable to achieve in 2003. Thus is realized, to use the expression of the US Chiefs of Staff adopted in 2001, the remodeling the "Greater Middle East".So there is no reason for the United States to destroy the Islamic Emirate, if not the publicized - and suspect - death of three of their nationals, which cannot justify the deluge of fire.While it is clear that the main target of the air campaign is not the one that is announced, no one is able to say precisely what it seeks to destroy. The most that can be said is that the United States and its GCC allies bombed empty buildings in Rakka - which had been evacuated two days earlier by the Islamic Emirate, and a dozen refineries in eastern Syria.
Bombing of a Syrian refinery by the US Air Force, September 24, 2014. Refineries are among the most expensive industrial investments.So what do these refineries signify in a war allegedly waged against terrorism? According to the Pentagon, they were controlled by the Islamic Emirate and brought it much income.The answer is obviously false. When states under embargo try to sell gas or oil on the international market, they do not succeed. But the Islamic Emirate does, despite resolutions 1373 (2001) and 2170 (2014) of the Security Council. Publicly notorious, it steals oil in Iraq and Syria, routing it by pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, from where it is transported to Israel by tankers of the Palmali Shipping & Agency JSC, the Turkish-Azeri company of billionaire Mubariz GurbanoÄŸlu. At the port of Ashkelon, Israeli authorities provide false certificates of origin from Eilat, then they are exported to the European Union, which pretends to believe they're Israeli.Above all, the same firm serving also to export gas and oil stolen by the local government of Iraqi Kurdistan, the United States and the GCC, if they acted pursuant to resolutions 1373 (2001) and 2170 (2014) should also attack Iraqi Kurdistan. Instead, they support it (not against the Islamic Emirate, but against the central government in Baghdad). [6]The bombing of these facilities cannot be understood as other than a desire to deprive Syria of its refining capacity when peace returns.Prince Khaled, son of the heir to the throne of Saud, Prince Salman, participates in the bombing of Syria at the controls of an F-15.It is common knowledge that in this case, the United States relies on members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and particularly Saudi Arabia. In this regard, if it is clear that Saudi planes are not taking off from their country, information published by Iranian media according to which they are based in Israel, is still not ruled out, but probable.We have often noted that one of the main aims of the war against Syria is the control of its gigantic reserves of natural gas and that of its territory by which could either pass a pipeline from Iran or its rival, Saudi Arabia from Qatar.However, since the resistance of Novorussia and support provided by the Russian Federation, the European Union is trying to overcome its dependence on Russian gas. Hence the Iranian government's idea to offer its gas on this market, as announced by Deputy Oil Minister Ali Majedi, August 9. [7] For Iran it would be an alternative to the blocking by the Islamic Emirate of Iraq's road to Syria.This option, which defends Iran state interests, but abandons the anti-imperialist struggle of President Ahmadinejad, could be approved by Washington as part of a broader agreement during the 5 + 1 negociations. Iran would be willing to abandon its groundbreaking research on a method for producing nuclear energy able to free the third world from its dependence on oil energy, while "Westerners" would lift their sanctions.However, this changeover, if it is to occur, would significantly alter regional equilibrium. It would be hard to sell to Russia, which has just welcomed Iran into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In addition, it would involve an investment of $ 8.5 billion to build 1,800 miles of pipeline and connect production fields to the Nabucco system. Iranian gas would transit through Azerbaijan and Turkey and Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, to be distributed in the European Union from Austria. This was confirmed by Sheikh Hassan Rohani to President Hans Fischer, on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the United Nations. [8]Iranian President Sheikh Hassan Rohani came to explain to his Austrian counterpart, Hans Fisher, his proposal to deliver gas to the European Union (New York, September 24, 2014).The revival of the Nabucco system would be a boon to Azerbaijan which could more easily export production from its Shah Deniz gas field. Thus, Baku would also move away from Moscow to be closer to Washington, which would explain the sudden purchase of arms from Israel.From the Syrian perspective, a shift in Iranian energy policy is not necessarily a bad thing: most of the enemies of Syria - except Israel - would have no reason to continue the war. In addition, the removal of Iran would strengthen the usefulness of Syria to Russia. If the agreement were signed, Washington would further pursue instability in the Sunni areas of Iraq, to maintain a physical separation between Tehran and Damascus, and certainly would support Daesh in Deir ez-Zor, but leave the rest of the Syria in peace.

Thierry Meyssan

Translation
Roger Lagassé

] ] &notes=Though%20everyone%20adheres%20to%20Washington%20and%20its%20Gulf%20allies'%20anti-terrorist%20discourse,%20everyone%20understands%20that%20it%20is%20only%20a%20rhetorical%20justification%20for%20a%20war%20that%20has%20other%20purposes.%20The%20United%20States%20say%20they%20want%20to%20destroy%20the%20Islamic%20Emirate%20which%20they%20created%20and%20which%20performs%20for%20them%20the%20ethnic%20cleansing%20necessary%20to%20its%20plan%20for%20the%20remodeling%20of%20the%20%22Broader%20Middle%20East%22.%20Stranger%20still,%20they%20say%20they%20want%20to%20fight%20in%20Syria%20alongside%20the%20moderate%20opposition%20which%20is%20composed%20of%20the%20same%20jihadists.%20Finally,%20they%20destroyed%20Rakka%20buildings%20that%20had%20been%20evacuated%20two%20days%20earlier%20by%20the%20Islamic%20Emirate.%20For%20Thierry%20Meyssan,%20behind%20these%20apparent%20contradictions%20the%20gas%20war%20continues.] ]


[1] "U.S. Air Strikes Are Having a Limited Effect on ISIL", Ben Watson, Defense One, 11 August 2014.[2] "John McCain, Conductor of the "Arab Spring" and the Caliph ", by Thierry Meyssan, Voltaire Network, 18 August 2014.[3] "Congress secretly approves U.S. weapons flow to 'moderate' Syrian rebels", par Mark Hosenball, Reuters, 27 January 2014.[4] "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant led by Prince Abdul Rahman", Translation Alizée Ville, Voltaire Network, 4 February 2014.[5] "Israeli general says al Qaeda's Syria fighters set up in Turkey", par Dan Williams, Reuters, 29 January 2014.[6] "Jihadism and the Petroleum Industry", by Thierry Meyssan, Translation Roger Lagassé, Al-Watan (Syria), Voltaire Network, 23 June 2014.[7] « Iran ready to supply energy to Europe via Nabucco », Irna, 9 August 2014.[8] « Iran Ready to Supply Energy to Europe », Shana, 24 September 2014.

McCain:

The Illegal Trip to Syria, April 2013

In May 2013, Senator John McCain made his way illegally to near Idleb in Syria via Turkey to meet with leaders of the "armed opposition". His trip was not made public until his return to Washington. [6]This movement was organized by the Syrian Emergency Task Force, which, contrary to its title, is a Zionist Organization led by a Palestinian employee of AIPAC [7]John McCain in Syria. In the foreground at right is the director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. In the doorway, center, Mohammad Nour. In photographs released at that time, one noticed the presence of Mohammad Nour, a spokesman for the Northern Storm Brigade (of the Al-Nosra Front, that is to say, al-Qaeda in Syria), who kidnapped and held 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims in Azaz. [8] Asked about his proximity to al-Qaeda kidnappers, the Senator claimed not to know Mohammad Nour who would have invited himself into this photo.The affair made a great noise and the families of the abducted pilgrims lodged a complaint before the Lebanese judiciary against Senator McCain for complicity in kidnapping. Ultimately, an agreement was reached and the pilgrims were released.Let's suppose that Senator McCain had told the truth and that he was abused by Mohammad Nour. The object of his illegal trip to Syria was to meet the chiefs of staff of the Free Syrian Army. According to him, the organization was composed "exclusively of Syrians" fighting for "their freedom" against the "Alouite dictatorship" (sic). The tour organizers published this photograph to attest to the meeting.John McCain and the heads of the Free Syrian Army. In the left foreground, Ibrahim al-Badri, with which the Senator is talking. Next, Brigadier General Salim Idris (with glasses). If we can see Brigadier General Idriss Salem, head of the Free Syrian Army, one can also see Ibrahim al-Badri (foreground on the left) with whom the senator is talking. Back from the surprise trip, John McCain claimed that all those responsible for the Free Syrian Army were "moderates who can be trusted" (sic).However, since October 4, 2011, Ibrahim al-Badri (also known as Abu Du'a) was on the list of the five terrorists most wanted by the United States (Rewards for Justice). A premium of up to $ 10 million was offered to anyone who would assist in his capture. [9] The next day, October 5, 2011, Ibrahim al-Badri was included in the list of the Sanctions Committee of the UN as a member of Al Qaeda. [10]In addition, a month before receiving Senator McCain, Ibrahim al-Badri, known under his nom de guerre as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, created the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ÉIIL) all the while still belonging to the staff of the very "moderate" Free Syrian Army. He claimed as his own the attack on the Taj and Abu Ghraib prisons in Iraq, from which he helped between 500 and 1,000 jihadists escape who then joined his organization. This attack was coordinated with other almost simultaneous operations in eight other countries. Each time, the escapees joined the jihadist organizations fighting in Syria. This case is so strange that Interpol issued a note and requested the assistance of the 190 member countries. [11]

The foregoing article on McCain is extracted from a longer piece HERE.