They previously gave money to rebels fighting Bashar Assad's regime, ISIS included, until 2013 when Saudi Arabia passed legislation banning financial support of terrorist groups. The current funding sources are primarily sales of oil from the regions they control, they also get money from sales of antiquities from palaces and archeological sites, taxation and extortion of the people under their control and ransoms from kidnappings.
We go after ISIS if for no other reason that copyright infringement. Radical islamic assholes try coming up with an original name like P.O.R.K People Of Radical Kuran
This is a really good idea. Track the oil connected to ISIS and heavily sanction the trading partners giving them cash or supplies in exchange. The Saudi's are already pumping as much oil as they can, which combined with US production coming online has dropped oil prices to 4 year lows. We should be on the oil exports like bees on honey, that's how you cripple ISIS and it doesn't involve feet on the ground it involves boots on deck.
I understand why everyone thinks these guys are hateful, and also understand that at some point you need to do something about it. But I don't see ISIS as anything close to an existential threat to the US, and we need to keep that in mind.
ISIS is no more of an existential threat to the US than the myriad rebellions in Africa that have been smoldering for decades now. The difference is oil and Israel.
I am not sure what you mean here by referring to Israel. Ftr I don't think ISIS is an existential threat to them, either. About oil, I suppose there's some scenarios out there where ISIS could be a threat to world oil supplies. Libya might be part of that picture. But that does not seem to be something likely in the short term. Oil prices are falling while recent events have transpired, so I don't think world oil markets see ISIS as a big threat to them.
What I mean is that the US has a big investment in Israel and we're never going to be able to treat the Middle East as just another chaotic region. If we didn't have the strategic alliance with them they'd essentially be Liberia in the Middle East. We give lip service to Liberia but we have not put any kind of investment in stabilizing that region of the world. Oil is a huge factor also. Our problems in the Middle East stem from the fact that one of our allies rarely listens to us (Israel) and one secretly loathes us (Saudi Arabia). Then we do really big things to try to help them out and get bogged down in response. Sharon going to the Temple Mount in 2000 is a perfect example of the problems with Israel. Boom, 2nd Intifada and 6 years of diplomacy down the tubes. Saudi Arabia radicalizing Pakistan speaks for itself.
I was not talking about relations with Saudi Arabia and Israel, which yes, are respectively problematic, to be sure. I was just saying at this moment ISIS is not an existential threat to the US or for that matter to any critical ally of the US, including those two. Not that it is not an issue, which of course it is. I can see how ISIS is potentially a big problem for SA, and even Israel. But not yet.
Go figure - all ISIS really wants is a relaxing day boogie boarding on a dirty, stinking lake somewhere in Iraq. I don't think I can embed the clip. Amusing, though. I think they could sell it better if they had a celebrity spokesman. Like Eric Estrada does on late night infomercials for those swamp huts down in Arkansas. Or wherever. http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/4794.htm
These guys are such clowns. They take credit for a failure of an attack where two guys with high powered rifles got taken out by a cop with a pistol. seems like you'd want to distance yourself from such a disgrace. lol This makes me want to put a mohammad cartoon on a billboard. Anyone know how to get a custom billboard setup?
So stoning and female genital mutilation are also just the work of psychopaths? Not State sanctioned? Very Islamic indeed...
Quite pathetic really like you said... I'd add in that the media attention was quite limited (a good thing so to not spread their BS propoganda...killing bad guys + no trial = job well done.)
