Recent military setbacks have diminished the Islamic State's control over local populations, natural resources and cultural antiquities in Iraq and Syria, raising the possibility that the group may turn to drug trafficking and other criminal schemes to generate revenue, say sources.
U.S. legislators on Tuesday voiced support for measures intended to restrict terrorist groups from profiting from the sales of cultural artifacts stolen from Syria.
Among the many challenges of identifying terrorist funds is the fact that they can be hidden in plain sight, according to Colin P. Clarke, an associate political scientist at the RAND Corporation who studies the subject.
Representatives of over 20 nations meeting in Paris endorsed a plan to choke off international funding of Islamic State militants and prevent the organization from financing its growing cadre of foreign affiliates.
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