US commander urges cutting off cash flow to Daesh

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN 

U.S. Army Europe Commander Ben Hodges has urged stronger efforts to cut the financial resources of Daesh and underlined that military strikes alone could be a solution to defeat the group.

“For stopping ISIL (Daesh), we have to dry up their financial resources,” Hodges said Tuesday, in an exclusive interview with The Anadolu Agency.

“They seem to have almost unlimited financial resources, this is coming from somewhere….This has long passed whatever money they stole from bank in Mosul,” Hodges stressed.

He said that one important financial source of Daesh has been the sale of oil on the black market.

Hodges argued that some Gulf states were also providing funding to the group, but he did not elaborate.

Daesh (the Arabic acronym for ISIL) has seized control of vast swathes of Iraq and Syria despite airstrikes conducted by U.S.-led coalition forces since August 2014.

The Daesh massacres and the massive deportation of the local population has sparked international outcry and led to the creation of an international coalition against the group.

“This is not Islam. But when an American or a Western national says it, this is not as compelling as when respected Islamic scholars or officials say it,” Hodges said.

He emphasized that only respected Muslim scholars and leaders can effectively counter Daesh propaganda towards young Muslims, with their own messages on the true nature of Islam.

- Security challenges in region

U.S. Army Europe Commander Hodges said developments in Syria and Iraq posed new security challenges, and renewed NATO’s commitment to the security of Turkey.

“When Turkey asked under article 4, for protection from potential Syrian missiles, the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands responded very quickly with the Patriots, and since then Spain has replaced the Netherlands with Patriots. The U.S. and Germany continue to be there. I think that is an important sign of reliability of the alliance, Turkey can count on the alliance,” he said.

Hodges praised Turkey’s support for the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, but expressed regret that the international assistance had been minimal.

“I think right now Turkey is carrying an unfair burden in terms of Syrian refugees. It did not get sufficient help. Well over a million refugees that we know about. That is a concern,” he said.

Syria has been gripped by constant fighting since the regime launched a violent crackdown in response to anti-government protests in March 2011, causing numerous refugees to pour into Turkey.

U.S. Army Europe Commander commended Turkey’s role in NATO and its support to international peace and security operations.

“Turkey has a large capable military. Turkey is a viable member of the alliance. Turkey shows up in everything, they participate in everything. Turkey is a reliable partner,” Hodges said.