Special to WorldTribune.com

Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) has set up what amounts to a “welfare state” in its areas of control and most people in those areas end up joining ISIL out of desperation, according to an ISIL defector.

Abu Khaled (the defector’s pseydonym) told The Daily Beast that four years of civil war have destroyed Syria’s economy and thousands are joining ISIL because they need the money to survive.

The defector said those who join ISIL are paid in U.S. dollars rather than Syrian liras. He added that the terror group also has its own currency exchanges.

Abu Khaled, who trained foreign jihadists while working for ISIL’s security forces, said ISIL territory is “a welfare state.”

“I rented a house, which was paid for by ISIL. It cost $50 per month. They paid for the house, the electricity. Plus, I was married, so I got an additional $50 per month for my wife. If you have kids, you get $35 for each. If you have parents, they pay $50 for each parent.”

The defector said all ISIL members receive similar payments.

“I knew a mason who worked construction. He used to get 1,000 lira per day. That’s nothing,” Abu Khaled said. “Now he’s joined ISIL and gets 35,000 lira — $100 for himself, $50 for his wife, $35 for his kids. He makes $600 to $700 per month. He gave up masonry. He’s just a fighter now, but he joined for the income.”

Yassin al-Jassem, a Syrian refugee from Raqqa, told The Washington Post that residents who don’t flee ISIL areas of control must join the group if they wish to survive.

“There is no work, so you have to join them in order to live,” he said. “So many local people have joined them. They were pushed into Daesh by hunger.”

Observers say ISIL has four main sources of income: taxation and extortion, oil, the sale of stolen antiquities, and ransom from kidnappings.

According to The New York Times, ISIL makes around $40 million a month through oil-related activities.

The terror group’s main source of income is extortion and taxation of those living under its rule.

According to Foreign Policy, people under ISIL rule pay salary taxes, welfare taxes and religion taxes. All vehicles passing through the terror group’s areas of control, some of which are carrying the only food available to those living in the areas, pay taxes that often total hundreds of dollars. ISIL also taxes jihadists who loot archaeological sites.

  extortion, money are major factors, stolen oil, taxation, Why join ISIL? Defector says desperation, WorldTribune.com