![]() The group has begun using the grain to fill its pockets, to deprive opponents – especially members of the Christian and Yazidi minorities – of vital food supplies, and to win over fellow Sunni Muslims as it tightens its grip on captured territory. The militants seem intent not just on grabbing more land but also on managing resources and governing in their self-proclaimed caliphate. The United Nations estimates land under IS control accounts for as much as 40 percent of Iraq’s annual production of wheat, one of the country’s most important food staples alongside barley and rice. The group now controls a large chunk of Iraq’s wheat supplies. Other fleeing farmers recount similar stories, and point to a little-discussed element of the threat Islamic State poses to Iraq and the region. “Just to let you know we are not stealing it because we gave you a choice.” When Paulis refused, the man spelled out the penalty. ![]() “Come back and we will guarantee your safety. ![]() Why are you not here working and taking care of your business?” the man asked in formal Arabic. Two weeks later, Paulis, who is a Christian, received a phone call from a man who said he was an Islamic State fighter. The group overran the family farm as part of its offensive that captured vast swathes of territory in northern Iraq. REUTERS/Youssef BoudlalĪ wheat farmer from outside Mosul, Paulis and his family fled the militant group Islamic State early last month. A farmer loads wheat grains onto a truck near the town of Makhmur, August 27, 2014. ![]()
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