Konflikten i Syrien

In public, the two belligerents claim to be sworn enemies. Isil has vowed to topple Mr Assad and transform Syria into an Islamic "Caliphate". But the rise of the jihadist movement has served Mr Assad's interests by allowing him to pose as an essential bulwark against Islamist terrorism.
Isil fighters captured the oilfields of eastern Syria in 2013. Since then, the regime is believed to have funded the jihadists by purchasing oil from Isil. But those links are understood to extend further than was previously thought. Instead of merely being a customer for Isil's oil, the regime is understood to be running some oil and gas installations jointly with the terrorist movement.

Other oil and gas fields in Isil's hands are thought to be operated by personnel who remain on the payroll of the regime's oil ministry. The oil is then sold to Mr Assad, who distributes it in areas he controls at relatively low prices, helping him to win the loyalty of local people.
Sometimes, the regime has paid for the oil by supplying Isil-held towns with electricity.

A representative of Tempbank, Dmitry Avakimov, who works in the lender's international transactions department, said the Syrian Commercial Bank's accounts still existed but that the barter deal had not been finalized.

He did not specify the purpose of the accounts.

"Assad needs bank accounts in other countries in order to continue to import food, oil products and weapons," said Sonni Efron, a senior government fellow at U.S.-based Human Rights First, a rights think tank.

A Syrian newspaper said two years ago that the central bank had rouble and foreign currency bank accounts in Gazprombank and Russian-state owned banks VTB and VEB, but analysts believe U.S. pressure has since moved Syrian lenders to use second-tier Russian banks.

The Obama administration accused Syria’s government of purchasing oil from Islamic State and blacklisted a Syrian-Russian businessman suspected of facilitating those transactions.

The U.S. Treasury Department also penalized Russian and Cypriot businessmen and companies suspected of helping the Syrian central bank evade international sanctions through a web of companies based in Russia, Cyprus and Belize.
The U.S. Treasury Department also penalized Russian and Cypriot businessmen and companies suspected of helping the Syrian central bank evade international sanctions through a web of companies based in Russia, Cyprus and Belize.

Among those blacklisted is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, a former president of the autonomous Russian Republic of Kalmykia. Mr. Ilyumzhinov is a long-serving president of the World Chess Federation, according to the Treasury Department.

The Treasury on Wednesday accused Mr. Ilyumzhinov of working closely with the Assad regime’s business associates in Syria and Russia to help the Syrian central bank avoid sanctions. This included the use of Moscow’s Russian Financial Alliance Bank, of which he is a major shareholder.

“Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was designated today for materially assisting and acting for or on behalf of the Government of Syria, Central Bank of Syria” and two central bank officials, the Treasury statement said.

De flesta av dessa ryska legosoldater som alla andra adaptrar i den “ryska världen” är fanatiskt religiösa och som galna i den ortodoxa kristendomen. Eller så använder de religionen som en fasad, eller är offer för okontrollerbar aggressiv rysk propaganda som varat i decennier. Även en hemlös person i Ryssland har imperialistiska ambitioner, på det sättet att vagabonden kan bo i skiten, men vara fixerad vid Rysslands ära.
Det bör nämnas att sådana ideologiska begrepp som “den ryska världen” [även på grund av religion] ser ut som den islamiska terrorismen, vars mest kända terroristorganisation “islamiska staten” [ISIS]) finns i Syrien. Cirkeln har slutits genom två religioner, den ortodoxa- och islamiska terrorismen som nu mött varandra i ett och samma land. Båda ytterligheter skyddar sina “världar”, håller distans till västvärlden och dödar människor över hela världen. Ganska slående likheter mellan intressesfärerna!