The ISIS killing machine runs on oil, its financial life-blood,
that enables it to acquire material and human resources worldwide. Oil is a
fungible commodity which is always in demand worldwide regardless of price,
particularly the high-quality light sweet crude in Iraq. This means that
there’s always a buyer. In the case of ISIS, its buyers are shadowy
intermediaries and smugglers who have no political or moral scruples at the
ready with all cash payments. There are ways to disrupt these transactions but
never shut them down enough to adversely impact ISIS’ operations.
Instead of attacking its army, coalition ground troops (a.k.a. US
troops) should focus on its revenue source directly: the dozen or so oil
refineries under ISIS control. Defending these facilities is a lose-lose
proposition for ISIS. The sudden and severe loss of revenue will soon separate
the wheat from the chafe amongst ISIS fighters. In other words, when things get
tough or even dire the financial shortfall will cause internal fissures amongst
the militants and will reveal which are true believers (fighting for ideology)
and which are doing it for cash. More than likely the de facto mercenaries
consist of the foreign fighters. It’s not only a method of progressively
denying ISIS a major source of funding, it will also create rifts in the ranks
making it more difficult for the leadership to control and inspire them to hold
fast and push forward. As Napoleon Bonaparte said, “An army travels on its
stomach.” For ISIS add petro-dollars.
There are three ways this can be accomplished, each one with its
own particular risk:
1. Blockade/siege: low
risk with ground troops who establish themselves on periphery of the oil
facility cutting oil pipes and preventing vehicles from entering or leaving.
Possible drawing out ISIS forces elsewhere for reinforcements cut down aerial
attacks because of open dessert. Isolation of ISIS units.
2.
Invade: High risk with high
ground troop losses, damage to the oil facility and possible scuttling of the
facility by ISIS forces.
3. Destroy: Low
risk with airstrikes which are currently underway to destroy or disrupt the
operations of the oil refineries. Nonetheless ground troops will be required to
“mop up” otherwise the militants will undertake repairs.
In WW II the US Marines performed island-hopping amphibious
assaults against Imperial Japan in the Pacific. Similarly ground troops would
perform oil refinery hopping in the vast desert oceans of the Mideast. This
tactic can be undertaken one oil refinery at a time or a simultaneous attack on
several.
Once ISIS begins to lose control, a regime at the brink of
collapse like a cornered dying beast, is likely to strike out viciously and
commit more horrific atrocities if that’s even imaginable.
Author: A Goldson
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