How the West Created the Islamic State

by NAFEEZ AHMED - Counterpunch

Follow the Money; Follow the Oil

Part 1 – OUR TERRORISTS

War in Syria: Gas, Oil and Pipelines

Oil and Pipeline Geopolitics: The US-NATO Race for Syria’s Black Gold

First published in Il Manifesto. Translated from the Italian by Gearóid Colmáin

Syria’s proven oil reserves, amounting to 2.5 billion barrels, are greater than those of all neighboring countries except Iraq: according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s estimation of its oil reserves. This makes Syria one of the largest producers and exporters of crude oil in the Middle East.