Issue:The Question of Destroying Oil Tanks Controlled by Terrorist Groups

Forum: Environmental Committee

Issue:The question of destroying oil tanks controlled by terrorist groups

Chair: Misha Schiever

Questions

Why does a coalition of countries destroy oil tanks from ISIS?

How does this affect the environment?

How does it affect the people in Iraq & Syria?

How does it affect ISIS?

I: Introduction

In its quest to control part of Syria and Iraq to create an Islamic State, the terrorist group ISIS has taken control of oil wells and tanks. They sell the oil on the black market to use the money collected in order to buy weapons and govern the regions under their control.

For the last few years, a number of foreign nations have been destroying ISIS oil wells and petrol tanks so ISIS will not sell petrol abroad. They hope to cut their resources and weaken their ability to fight.

A collateral damage is that large pieces of lands are polluted and will be affected for several dozens of years. This also affects agriculture. The burning of tanks also pollutes the air with negative consequences on the health of the people in Syria and Iraq.

These destruction campaigns have affected ISIS economy but it is difficult to know how long it will take to have their economy fully damaged.

II: Definition of Key Terms

ISIS: Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Black market = illegal trade

Collateral damage:

III: History

If you want a long, well researched answer to the history of ISIS, read this article: What ISIS Really Wants, from The Atlantic. Here is a short summary I found on this article.

In short, the group ISIS emerged from an extremist faction originally founded in 1999 that started to gain traction after the 2003 Iraqi invasion led by the U.S.

The current leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. His lineage, as a descendant of Muhammad's tribe, the Quraysh, supposedly gives him authority to act as a legitimate caliph (leader of the caliphate).

As the self-proclaimed worldwide caliphate, their mission is to establish Islam as the supreme form of government for all Muslims throughout the world. This means implementing all Islamic traditions as they wsere initially laid out by Muhammad and forcibly expanding their territory.

To the question of how much power they have, the answer is potentially more than any other extremist group to date. A number of factors, including their successful acquisition of territory and the lineage of their leader, give the movement a unique religious authority among a certain subset of Muslims. Their dissemination of propaganda has spurred quite a following from Muslims around the world, with large numbers migrating to the region to support the movement.

IV: Key issues

1.Pollution of the lands and air

2.Population suffering

3.How to reconstruct countries in the future if oil will be difficult to extract

4.Economy of ISIS still strong

5.Countries/companies buy oil illegally from ISIS

6.Major countries have different goals in the region.

V: Major parties involved

1. France
2. Russia
3. Turkey
4. United States of America

VIII: Possible Solutions

1.Obtain from Syria and Iraq neighborhood countries that they control their borders so no tanks and trucks can pass.

2.Ensure no one buys oil from ISIS.

IX: Bibliography