Official: ISIS looking to take over oil assets in Libya, other regions
A senior U.S. official says the Islamic State wants to expand its oil business beyond Syria, and is looking at assets in Libya and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
In Syria, ISIS has control of about 80 percent of the oil and gas fields, Reuters reports. The United States is working to gather information on pipelines, trucking routes, infrastructure, and oil fields that could be vulnerable to an attack by ISIS, said the official, who requested anonymity. "They are looking at the oil assets in Libya and elsewhere. We'll be prepared."
The U.S. estimates that ISIS could bring in as much as $40 million a month in oil sales, and airstrikes have been targeting fuel trucks in an attempt to slow down business and strike a blow to ISIS's finances. There has been some success on that front, the official said: "The costs of the [oil] operation have gone up and the ability to move it around has gone down."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The death of Hassan Nasrallah
In the Spotlight The killing of Hezbollah's leader is 'seismic event' in the conflict igniting in the Middle East
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: October 5, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: October 5, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red Sea
Speed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Houthi rebels claim Red Sea ship attacks
speed read Iran-backed Yemeni group vows to escalate aggression towards Israel-linked vessels in revenge for Gaza war
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages released
Speed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Mob storms Russian airport 'looking for Jews'
Speed Read Plane from Israel surrounded by rioters chanting antisemitic slogans after landing in Russia's Dagestan region
By The Week UK Published
-
Tuberville's military promotions block is upending lives, combat readiness, 3 military branch chiefs say
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive is making incremental gains. Does it matter in the broader war?
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
US commissions first-ever Navy ship in a foreign port
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
British spy chief, Wagner video suggest Prigozhin is alive and freely 'floating around'
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published