UN Security Council: Oil Buyers from the 'Islamic State' Face Sanctions

The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution against the financial resources of the Islamic State group and Jabhat al-Nusra, threatening sanctions against buyers of oil from these groups. However, the resolution does not mention the names of oil buyers from ISIS. Reuters reported that this resolution, passed on Thursday, February 11, prohibits paying ransoms to armed Islamist groups for the release of hostages and the buying and selling of Syrian antiquities. All 15 members of the Security Council agreed to this binding resolution presented by Russia. The resolution also emphasizes the prohibition of buying and selling Iraqi antiquities, which was approved nearly a decade ago. According to this resolution, the UN Security Council will have the authority to impose sanctions against violators but does not have the mandate to issue military attack orders against them. The approval of this resolution reflects the Security Council members' concerns that the Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra, and other similar groups are generating income from 'looting and trafficking Syrian cultural heritage' and using this income to 'recruit forces and enhance their capabilities in carrying out terrorist attacks.' This new resolution is part of the Security Council's ongoing efforts to combat the financial resources of the Islamic State, particularly to stop the sale of oil by this group. The Islamic State (ISIS) has been able to access oil fields in Syria and Iraq by seizing vast areas in recent years. According to a report published by the UN Security Council in November 2014, the estimated income of the Islamic State from oil sales is between $846,000 and $1.6 million per day. This group has also engaged in the trafficking of antiquities from Syria and Iraq. However, the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) has assessed that oil is no longer the main source of funding for the Islamic State. According to Western diplomats, the main reason for this is the airstrikes by the U.S.-led international coalition on the oil facilities controlled by this group and the decline in global oil prices. The United Nations also estimated that the Islamic State's income from extortion is between $96,000 and $123,000 per day. The UN Security Council has warned countries to stop vehicles suspected of smuggling oil, metals, grains, electronics, and cigarettes that are entering or exiting areas controlled by the Islamic State or Jabhat al-Nusra. These goods can be sold internationally or traded for weapons. Following the adoption of this resolution, Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, expressed regret that the Security Council has not been able to display a similar unity to end four years of crisis and civil war in Syria. Ms. Power addressed the Security Council, stating, 'As we condemn the brutality of the Islamic State, we must continue to condemn the brutality of the Syrian regime, which has long lost its legitimacy.' According to the U.S. ambassador to the UN, the lack of unity among Security Council members over the Syrian crisis in recent years has led to the rise of the Islamic State. The Security Council has been at an impasse over the Syrian crisis for a long time due to Russia's support for Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and China's backing of Russia. Russia and China are two of the five permanent members of the council with veto power.