{"id":148607,"date":"2015-12-06T11:10:44","date_gmt":"2015-12-06T09:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=148607"},"modified":"2015-12-06T09:27:56","modified_gmt":"2015-12-06T07:27:56","slug":"how-to-defeat-isis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/technology\/148607-how-to-defeat-isis.html","title":{"rendered":"How to defeat ISIS"},"content":{"rendered":"

The high costs<\/a> of running the Islamic State\u2019s \u201ccaliphate\u201d and fighting a ground war are largely met from selling oil, supplemented with donations and money extorted from Christians and hostages.<\/p>\n

Preventing the jihadists from profiting from oilfields under its control should be a priority for the military coalition \u2013 indeed, Britain\u2019s first strikes in Syria were against oilfields<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the coalition already has the capacity to stop the illegal oil trade. High above Syria and Iraq, beyond the range of any IS missiles, are US and UK surveillance and strike drones such as the Predator and Reaper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These can operate for up to 24 hours, equipped with excellent sensors including synthetic aperture radar<\/a> \u2013 sideways-looking radar that uses the flight path of the aircraft to electronically simulate an extremely large antenna.<\/p>\n

This continuously generates extremely high-resolution imagery even through cloud and sandstorms.<\/p>\n

\"SAR<\/a><\/p>\n

These are the weapons with which to cut off IS\u2019s oil trade income, estimated at US$50m a month (US$600m a year)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While looted banks and military bases provided IS with a reported war chest of US$1.5-$2 billion<\/a>, this oil income is vital to pay the salaries of its administrators and fighters, around US$500m a year<\/a>, buy black market weaponry estimated at US$1 billion, and other essentials that bring annual costs to around US$2 billion.<\/p>\n

Using surveillance aircraft\/drones alongside attack drones, crude oil movement can be stopped. In parallel, bankers should be persuaded to block anonymous donation funding through the financial networks.<\/p>\n

IS is shipping around 25,000 barrels of crude oil a day to Turkey<\/a> by road tanker, sold on the black market for as little as US$25 a barrel \u2013 then a quarter of market price. Now it sells to rogue traders<\/a> in organised operations within Iraq and Syria.<\/p>\n

Why is cutting off the oil trade supporting IS not being addressed more enthusiastically? Russian strikes have inflicted damage on the tanker fleets<\/a>, but of 10,600 coalition strikes, only 196 have targeted oil infrastructure<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With better use of airborne surveillance it would be easier to identify and destroy the tankers used to move illicit crude oil, cutting off this vital source of income and hastening an end to the conflict.<\/p>\n