Re: Russell 6 Re: Originone Paul Crawford @Matt Bryant
".....I find it interesting that the news of ISIS selling oil to Assad hasn't been reported in any of the British press." Probably because the British public are more interested in the Rolf Harris trial. But theories on Assad's backing ISIS to weaken moderate Sunni opponents was reported in Time in January (http://world.time.com/2014/01/27/syria-assad-geneva-al-qaeda/). The theory goes like this:
1. If Assad turns the Western view of his opponents into 'AQ-linked terrorists' rather than 'freedom fighters' then it reduces the likelyhood the West will intervene in Syria. The fact that ISIS spend a lot of time killing off the other Sunni leaders that oppose Assad is a bonus. So Assad has a believable motive.
2. Iran wants a radical Sunni rebellion as it either forces the US to back Maliki or allows Iran free-reign to send troops and tanks to Iraq to 'help'. Of course, such Iranian troops would then be welcomed by Assad not to stop at the border but to carry on into Syria as well. If America steps in then it commits the US to another long and expensive grind which will only damage relations with their Sunni allies (in Iraq, Saudi and Qatar) with Iran likely to step in as soon as the Yanks leave a second time. So Iran has a reasonable motive for supporting Assad in bolstering ISIS.
3. Those politicians in the West not keen on intervention can use it as an excuse to call for non-intervention 'because they are AQ'. That gives some politicians a reason to leak the story to friendly journos. More motive for Assad.
4. Those politicians (and 'cheese-eating surrender monkeys') looking for a profit and influence can use the 'nastiness' of ISIS to call for sanctions against Assad to be dropped. Billy Hague raised the point at The Hague, but France thinks they have an advantage seeing as they have previously sold weapons to the Assad regime and offered them to the rebels. So again, more motive for Assad to push the story out there.
The point it falls down on is I don't see why ISIS would need the money seeing as they have plenty from their Wahhabi donors. I'm also not sure they have the technical knowledge to run a refinery. But the Assad regime has a long history of clever propaganda ploys....
Biting the hand that feeds IT
