Thread about #SDF #Efrin's #IRGC/Regime Connection: #Katerji Group awarded "Oil Contract" in SDF areas.
So the #PYD/#YPG are about to lose #Manbij following yet another #US abandonment.
This would be a major loss of business tax revenue following the #Turkey takeover of #Efrin.
Because of the war in #Aleppo, most small and medium-sized factories relocated to #Efrin & exported their product (mainly ready-wear & shoes) to regime and rebel areas. They paid lower taxes to the Democratic Autonomous Administration compared to official #Syria gov rates.
The #Katerji Group, owned by MP Hossam Katerji & his brother, is among the major beneficiaries. Also a shipping business, KG shipped grain and oil from SDF areas in NE Syria to regime areas and transported goods from/to #Efrin.
KG were also made famous dealing with #IslamicState
The #IRGC also saw value in #Katerji as the perfect conduit to establish links to #Efrin and its admin. It supported the Katerji Forces, a well-armed branch of the #NDF. You might remember the KF as being the pro-regime group who went to fight Turkey & #EuphratesShield in Efrin.
The Katerjiis also used to sponsor "This is Aleppo", hosted by state-owned TV reporter Shadi Hulweh. He also went to #Efrin with the Katerji Forces to report on the offensive.
What KG & IRGC didn’t account for was that #Russia had given #Turkey green light to use air power offensively against those pro-regime forces. This is because they weren’t officially SAA but #IRGC-backed, acting out of government mandate. Up to 60 KF members were KIA.
The #Katerji Group is back in the news again with Arfada Petroleum, a $2m company specialised in “buying/selling/transporting hydrocarbons” as well as “drilling, fixing and maintaining” oil wells. Co. will operate mostly in oil-rich SDF-controlled areas like #Hasaka & #DeirEzzor
The announcement of the new venture comes days following a leak of a purported secret deal with Iran-backed Katerji Group and #SDF whereby latter will trade unrefined petroleum with refined diesel fuel, all supplied by #Katerji trucking business and his new oil venture.
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.