Could Daesh exporting tahini to Canada?

Middle Eastern foodstuffs could be reaching the international market with the help of Daesh, according to Al Arabiya News.

With a hold on Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, Daesh has also gained access to what is considered the most famous city for the production of tahini.

Khadhum Jabar,  an Iraqi business consultant, has claimed that products coming from Daesh-held territories in Mosul could be easily exported and sold in the international market through smugglers in the autonomous region of Kurdistan.

“Their main corridor is Kurdistan and from Kurdistan to other places in central and southern Iraq. It is sold under the disguise that is from Kurdistan,” he told Al Arabiya, also referring to Daesh's ability to sell oil and strategic grains.

“ISIS (Daesh) has other sources of income like controlling Iraqi border points and highways with Jordan and Syria. ISIS forces truck drivers transporting goods to pay tribute/fees to be allowed to pass into Iraq," he claimed.

Shipments to Mosul

Mosul continues to be the destination of many shipments of children's toys and clothing, according to Al Arabiya.

“At first it was hard for trucks to reach Mosul, but now it is better than before as the trucks could reach the city,” stated Basra-based Noor Hashim Yassin, an employee at a French container transportation and shipping company known as CMA CGM.

Despite the increasing ease of access across northern Iraq, many companies understandably continue to avoid transporting near Daesh-held areas.

“We try to avoid ISIS-held territories at all costs. A lot of the drivers do not want to drive to these routes anymore because of the danger. We had to change our strategies in order to get into Mosul.” said Bill Shaw, vice president of the U.S.-based World Class Shipping.

"We had a couple of humanitarian shipments that we are able to get into Mosul but everything is at our customers’ risk. Our customers have to sign a waiver, basically saying that we are not responsible for anything that goes wrong," he added.

Shaw claimed that drivers going near Daesh controlled areas had to be paid more by the company due to the higher risks, although it was rare that they had to go Mosul.   

In those rare cases where shipments to Mosul do become necessary, Shaw said that the company had to rely on the help  of Daesh connections for the products to reach their destinations.