Day 1,208: ISIL kicks out thousands of Syrians, while courting others with oil

Today is Day 1,1208 of the Syrian conflict.

If you want a good deal on oil and don't mind supporting some pretty sick mass killers, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is now the place to go. Though the global price of a barrel of oil has been hovering over $100 for quite some time now, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports ISIL, with its new oil field gains, is selling them to traders at 2,000 Syrian pounds, or "about $12" (closer to $13, maybe, by exchange rates as of this morning — but still, a steal). The traders then sell at 3,000 Syrian pounds, which nets a profit of about $7 a barrel. The observatory reports this is supposed to be getting ISIL support from the local community.

Then again, the observatory also reported on Sunday that ISIL took the Syrian town of Shuheil last week and expelled some 30,000 residents. So we'll see which move wins out in the PR world.

In other news, the BBC reports police in the UK are "trying to trace twin teenage girls from Greater Manchester who are reported to have travelled to Syria," reportedly following their brother, an ISIL fighter. Also, that Welsh teenager is still out there with ISIL.

On Sunday over 140 imams released an open letter asking British Muslims to donate for humanitarian relief but not to go fight in Iraq and Syria.

The conflict continues.