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The Islamic State Economy: How Syrian Antiquities Fuel Terrorism

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08.26.2015 at 12:17pm

The Islamic State Economy: How Syrian Antiquities Fuel Terrorism by Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor

When the self-described Islamic State (IS) publicly beheaded a Syrian archaeologist last week for refusing to reveal the whereabouts of hidden treasures in the ancient city of Palmyra, it was a measure of how important the illicit sale of antiquities has become to the cash-hungry and predominantly self-financed organization.

But it was not a sign of financial desperation.

The extremist Islamist group that controls more than a third of both Syria and Iraq is awash in cash, experts in terrorist financing say…

Read on.

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