The Islamic State Economy: How Syrian Antiquities Fuel Terrorism by Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor
When the self-described Islamic State (IS) publicly beheaded a Syrian archaeologist last week for refusing to reveal the whereabouts of hidden treasures in the ancient city of Palmyra, it was a measure of how important the illicit sale of antiquities has become to the cash-hungry and predominantly self-financed organization.
But it was not a sign of financial desperation.
The extremist Islamist group that controls more than a third of both Syria and Iraq is awash in cash, experts in terrorist financing say…