British research center: Armed factions control economic activities in Mosul

[size=52]British research center: Armed factions control economic activities in Mosul[/size]

[size=45]Translation/ Hamid Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]In a report prepared by the British Global Risk Insights Center for economic and political research and analysis, it referred to the domination of armed factions over economic capabilities in some cities inside Iraq and Syria, including Mosul and other liberated cities, taking advantage of their checkpoints and their influence in some official departments to obtain illegitimate economic benefits.[/size]
[size=45]The British Center stated in its report that these activities have negative consequences at the local and regional levels on a large scale, which in turn lead to an increase and exacerbation of sectarian tensions, as local residents often complain of losing real estate and property belonging to them with thefts and extortion by these armed groups.[/size]
[size=45]Most of the obvious economic activities of these armed groups are the large number of checkpoints scattered across the regions of the two countries. High fees and levies at checkpoints on goods and shipments mean that Iraqis and Syrians not only have to wait in long, slow queues at these points but also have to pay extortionate rates of money.[/size]
[size=45]The report states that checkpoints are often used to gain control of land and territory, gain legitimacy and develop ties with local residents. Local residents of Mosul expressed their dissatisfaction and complaints about the control of armed groups and factions and their acquisition of real estate in the city. For example, the Al-Bala market, in the city that belongs to the Sunni endowment, was taken over by them, with those present being forced to pay them rent.[/size]
[size=45]In both countries, in Iraq and Syria, there are areas that have been liberated from ISIS but have not been returned to their original inhabitants, as the displaced from those areas are viewed with suspicion of their links to ISIS and are marginalized. In Syria and in the city of Morek, for example, which was liberated by the Syrian Tiger Forces, which led to large-scale acquisitions of plots of land there. In one case, a person from the city had to pay $5,000 to a member of this force to get a piece of land he owned.[/size]
[size=45]The British report also indicated that these armed factions are building real estate empires. In Iraq, groups took control of important offices, such as real estate registration offices, for the purpose of obtaining important profitable property. Meanwhile, in Syria, real estate theft and reconstruction efforts are intertwined, as factions take advantage of demographic changes there for their own interests.[/size]
[size=45]Local residents on both sides of the border between Iraq and Syria suffer from instability due to the presence of these armed groups. This creates a particularly worrying situation because the population groups across the Iraqi-Syrian border have strong clan and family ties, and any provocative actions by these armed groups may give ISIS an opportunity to exploit the crisis situation to its advantage.[/size]
[size=45]Along the Iraqi-Syrian border, especially between the two border cities of Al-Qaim and Al-Bukamal, smuggling of oil, gas, weapons, goods and people smuggling flourishes as well.[/size]
[size=45]Oil smuggling constitutes the most money supplying activity, with smuggling rates reaching nearly 10,000 barrels per day through Anbar to Syria. However, the rates of drug smuggling by them are not known precisely.[/size]
[size=45]Reports indicate the prevalence of crystal drug abuse in recent years in Iraq. 60% of this material comes through Iran's border with Iraq, smugglers pay bribes to cross checkpoints with huge loads that are not vetted.[/size]
[size=45]Colonel Muhammad Alwan, commander of the anti-narcotics unit in Baghdad, said that 10% of Baghdad's population are addicts and abusers of crystal drugs. He pointed out that unemployment among young people, which reached 36% with the years of war and despair, is what pushed them towards this bad trend.[/size]
[size=45]At the regional level, these activities had their effect on Lebanon as well, and smuggling of contraband flourished there with the start of the civil war in Syria. Along the Lebanese border around the city of Harmal, all kinds of goods are smuggled, such as fuel, sheep, and others. According to local reports, these smuggling activities cost the Lebanese economy approximately $15 million per day. The situation is getting worse in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, where food is being fought over.[/size]
[size=45]As for the impact of these activities on the global level, it lies in what the Italian intelligence indicated when it seized last year 84 million Captagon narcotic pills coming from Syria.[/size]
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