Speaking on 23 October 2014 at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, US Under-Secretary of the Treasury David S. Cohen accused Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria of illegally selling oil stolen by the Islamic Emirate (Daesh ) [1].

Putting aside the accusation leveled against Syria (buying the oil that Daesh steals from it) which is rooted in pure propaganda, this is the second time that Washington points the finger at its Turkish and Kurdish allies. On 2 October, during the question and answer session with students at Harvard University, Vice President Joe Biden had likewise accused Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates of secretly supporting Daesh [2]. He subsequently apologized for his assertion.

The fact remains that, while Washington is unwilling to publicly acknowledge its own support for Daesh, it readily lashes out against its Turkish and Iraqi allies.

David S. Cohen’s remarks come as Turkey, under US pressure, has officially decided to help the Syrian Kurds besieged by Daesh in Kobane. However, considerable confusion still subsides in the area where the Pentagon is believed to have parachuted weapons to Syrian Kurds, but has actually dropped half of them into Islamic State hands, either intentionally or by mistake.

[1] “Remarks by U.S. Treasury Under Secretary David S. Cohen on Attacking ISIL’s Financial Foundation”, David S. Cohen, Carnegie Endowment for Internationale Peace, 23 octobre 2014.

[2] “Remarks by Joe Biden at the John F. Kennedy Forum”, by Joseph R. Biden Jr., Voltaire Network, 2 October 2014.