According to the United Nations, the Islamic State’s most successful regional financial offices include al-Karrar, al-Furqan, and al-Siddiq. This series breaks down each office’s operations.
Excellent article Adam, several times while reading I developed questions, however, each time that thought was answered as I continued to read. Your investigatory skills are improving with each article.
I have to wonder if the US would be interested in working with Russia or China, who are otherwise far more successful in the continent, to force out IS as the group seems to really be a thorn in everyone’s side. At the very least, financing a continent spanning less shady financial system seems very within the Chinese scope in Africa. Add in even more mass surveillance to boot and it almost seems like a mission custom built for Xi and the Chinese IC.
Unfortunately, with tensions as high as they are, cooperation of this kind is getting much more difficult, even though it makes sense. For Washington's part, it has warned countries with which it has poor relations, such as Iran and Russia, of impending attacks, but these did not prevent the horrific incidents that occured last year. It is difficult to say whether Russia or China have been more successful in combating IS financing: for example, the US Treasury has produced some of the best research on their financial networks I've seen thus far. Given these groups' propensity for resource smuggling, the Chinese would do well to crack down on their own transnational criminal groups, as many of these may be knowingly or unknowingly financing IS activity in Africa. One needs only look at the growing use of Chinese weapons by IS and other militant groups in Africa to see a possible trend in that regard.
Excellent article Adam, several times while reading I developed questions, however, each time that thought was answered as I continued to read. Your investigatory skills are improving with each article.
Thanks Joseph! Your encouragement helps keep me going!
I have to wonder if the US would be interested in working with Russia or China, who are otherwise far more successful in the continent, to force out IS as the group seems to really be a thorn in everyone’s side. At the very least, financing a continent spanning less shady financial system seems very within the Chinese scope in Africa. Add in even more mass surveillance to boot and it almost seems like a mission custom built for Xi and the Chinese IC.
Unfortunately, with tensions as high as they are, cooperation of this kind is getting much more difficult, even though it makes sense. For Washington's part, it has warned countries with which it has poor relations, such as Iran and Russia, of impending attacks, but these did not prevent the horrific incidents that occured last year. It is difficult to say whether Russia or China have been more successful in combating IS financing: for example, the US Treasury has produced some of the best research on their financial networks I've seen thus far. Given these groups' propensity for resource smuggling, the Chinese would do well to crack down on their own transnational criminal groups, as many of these may be knowingly or unknowingly financing IS activity in Africa. One needs only look at the growing use of Chinese weapons by IS and other militant groups in Africa to see a possible trend in that regard.