by Stephen Lendman

They provide a key source of ISIS income, millions of dollars through an illegal pipeline to Turkey where it’s sold, according to Turkish http://sputniknews.com/world/20151031/1029376526/turkey-islamic-state-pipelines.html" target="_blank">Sputnik News reported.

America’s bombing campaign avoided striking ISIS-held Syrian oil fields so far. “This fact really makes (me) wonder, given that one of the steps of Obama's plan to fight ISIL was the destruction of sources of the Islamic State's income," Dursunoglu noted. Drone and satellite spotted tanker trucks carrying ISIS oil are allowed to cross into Turkey freely. Did US tactics change? If so, why?

According to The New York Times, US warplanes are attacking “oil fields that the Islamic State controls in eastern Syria…” Claiming it’s to “disrupt one of the terrorist group’s main sources of revenue,” according to unnamed US officials is rubbish.

If Washington wanted this revenue source cut off, bombing the oil fields would have begun last year, disrupting them enough to halt production.

So why now and why not the essential distribution network, the pipeline used and openly visible tanker trucks?

Russia’s effective air campaign enables Syrian ground forces to make slow and steady gains, liberating areas ISIS formerly held, including breaking a two-year Aleppo province Kweiris airbase siege.

According to a Syrian military source, “(t)he army managed to break through to Kweiris defenders, lifting the siege which had lasted over two years.” It followed “the liberation of Sheikh Ahmad” village, two km from the base.

Syrian ground forces continue their slow and steady advance, including in Latakia province. They took control of Nawleh village near the Marj al-Sultan airbase.

A Syrian military source said “pro-government forces are now in control of 80 percent of the territories south of the strategic airport,” including the al-Mahalej area, south of Marj al-Sultan airbase. Its liberation appears next.

Weeks earlier, US warplanes attacked the Aleppo province 1,000 megawatt power plant and separate transformer complex, knocking out electricity for around 2.5 million residents - killing plant personnel and other civilians, not ISIS fighters, the terror attack ignored by US media scoundrels.

Another power station and distribution transformer east of Aleppo was struck days earlier. Vladmir Putin commented, saying:

US warplanes “bombed out an electrical power plant and a transformer in Aleppo. Why have they done this? Whom have they punished there? What’s the point? Nobody knows.”

Infrastructure is targeted and destroyed as part of Washington’s strategy in all wars - systematically turning nations to rubble, harming noncombatant civilians most.

Attacking ISIS held Syrian oil fields now appears part of a plan to prevent their use by Damascus if its army regains control. They’ve been protected to provide income for America’s proxy terrorist foot soldiers.

Washington wants Assad deprived of an important revenue source. If his forces recapture ISIS held oil fields and facilities, they’ll likely find them turned to rubble.

The New York Times didn’t explain - saying nothing about Washington letting ISIS produce and transport Syrian oil freely so far, ignoring why tactics now may have changed, maintaining the fiction about America waging war on terrorism instead of informing readers about reality on the ground.

Washington created ISIS and similar groups, using them strategically as proxy foot soldiers. Russia is waging real war on terrorism, challenging US hegemonic aims effectively for the first time, a major geopolitical development.

Putin intends no letup until achieving objectives he set out to accomplish - to Washington’s consternation, unable to do anything to stop him other than wage ineffective propaganda war.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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