Bitcoin Forum

http://www.panture.com/bitcoin-could-financially-liberate-citizens-under-isis-rule/

I see people from Iraq and Syria on the internet, it's not like it's shut down. When terrorists come to your down asking for a tax, just show them that you have nothing. All you have to do is hide your private key, or use an online wallet like Coinbase. Using something like PayPal or Western Union can be risky, as terrorists are aware of it, and those services don't like doing business with those citizens anyways for obvious reasons.

We need to focus on educating people in third world countries more, that is where bitcoin can do the most good.

I think ISIS will not take it for granted if there is someone who does not have the money. They may do violence or kill people who don'tt have the money, so that others are afraid to not pay taxes. It's too risky. After all a lot of people who still don't understand what it is bitcoin.

i think they are aware of coinbase, if they know bitcoin, so how coinbase can be safe at all?

I can only assume if you have a terrorist organization knocking on your door demanding money is a bit overwhelming.  You'd likely have alot on you mind and understanding the ins and outs of Bitcoin may not be the top on your to do list.  I'd think making sure you and your family doesn't get killed is top of the list of things to do.

people in iraq are poor as hell, they are not very educated and are less exposed to western media.

In my opinion, this terrorist, at least their average members, are not very smart and also not kind people as well.
They will not ask you anything, they will took anything they find in your house and destroy your computer as ''devil's tool or something like that.
I don't expect that with this crazy people is possible some reasonable talk.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/is-the-islamic-state-really-using-bitcoin

...

Another big problem would be how people living under ISIS could get the BTC, how do they pay for it?  

In Argentina, it is apparently not very easy to get BTC without having to pay a large premium over US BTC price, someone (seller) has to accept something of value for the buyer to get them.  

What poor Iraqi would have resources to buy any BTC?

Its a very simple solution, solved by bitcoin's inherent divisibility.

A USD will go a long way in Iraq. So will a few satoshis.

Examples: (in USD)
$0.46 for a litre of gas. = 0.0008 btc
$1 for a litre of milk      = 0.001739 btc

* source: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Iraq (http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Iraq)

Because they're running for their lives?

ISIS is too busy committing genocide to worry about bitcoin.

And the people under ISIS rule are too busy getting genocided'ed to buy bitcoin.

It really isn't so much that the Christians living in parts of Iraq don't have any money, or the money they do have is subject to inflation/confiscation it is that the ISIS is killing them. Bitcoin would not solve this problem. Contrary to what many people on here think, bitcoin is not the answer to all of the world's problems.

I am not sure bit coin is on a lot of people's minds over there right now. They are probably more focused on being sure they wake up each morning.

damn, that shit is damning to bitcoin. if government really wanted to crack down on btc, they'd bring this up as an issue. and yes everybody, i know they use cash as well.

yes, I think they are making a hard living and barely have internet connection. Nearly no one there has a little knowledge about BTC. How could they buy any BTC?

You're all kidding, right?  ISIS is not Al-Queda or the Taliban, ISIS is like the first international terrorist organization to have a huge social media presence and they supposedly have $2 billion in cash.  They've definitely heard of Bitcoin.


Iraqis owning Bitcoin is like Argentines owning Bitcoin.  In theory it sounds possible but in practice who wants to exchange their Bitcoin for some worthless currency?  They're supposedly paying $1000 equivalent in Peso for Bitcoin in Argentina..  in Iraq they'ld have to pay like $2000+ equivalent in Dinar.

Only few people have acess to computers and internet is not reliable. Also no way to know for sure how long your computer will last.

Also their money surely is undervalued, so they can't afford all the bitoin taxes.

The reason for the premium in argentina is because of the artificial peso/USD exchange rate imposed by the government; the peso/BTC exchange rate reflects the blackmarket peso/USD exchange rate.

Most other terrorist organizations do not have any kind of social media presence, however social media is very new and was really not around nor as big as it is now when other terrorist organizations were at their peak.

You would probably be surprised as to how much money organizations like al-quiata has. They will usually finance themselves from Muslim related donations and likely receive significant amounts per year. Muslim related charities were scrutinized after 9/11 as it was determined that some of them help pay for 9/11

Believe me, if you are under a war scenario and being invaded by a foreign force, last thing you will want is put your money where you maybe won't ever be able recover again. Or at least not in time when you are suffering from famine or thirsty, or need to bribe someone, or need something from the terrorists to take or they will kill you.

No one will use Bitcoin in war scenario, unless they are planning to scape to a pacific region with Internet access.

guys shut up about ISIS, you have no clue what your even talking about..

there is no ISIS.

the word isis is an american invented word to describe anyone that lives in iraq or syria. it is not the formal group name of extremists, or the command codename of a militia. or even a name that ismlamics, syrians or iraqi's chose for themselves. it is purely an american branding.

if ISIS was to do with the bad people of syria/iraq, it would more likely be an american word like REBISOI
Radical
Extremists
Born
In
Syria
Or
Iraq

but media are using the ISIS to push the subtle idea that ALL people in that area are bad people with bombs and grenade launchers under their bed and we should all fear every single middle-eastern citizen.

secondly the $1.5billion-$2billion is not the 'terrorism' budget of an extremist group. but thats the national budget for the countries civil defense. which EVERY country in the world has a right to spend money on defense.

watch this and then tell me who sounds like a radical extremist more.. iraqi/syrian citizens or american media.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2FSMvrlUlY

um how many people came to america to kill... and how many americans went to iraq to kill..

1. so its not just syria and iraq, now she wants to add iran into the mix
2. she doesnt want a peace deal
3. she decribes the whole area as 'the devil'

1. so syria has not sent missiles to bomb the western world yet she wants to send missiles to destroy ALL of syria
2. so iraq has not sent missiles to bomb the western world yet she wants to send missiles to destroy ALL of iraq
3. so iran has not sent missiles to bomb the western world yet she wants to send missiles to destroy ALL of iran

um...... how many americans have died on us soil since obama has been in office. and how many syrians, iraqi, iranians have died on their home soil? so who killed who more in their own homes

well maybe that is because average joe living in america watching tv, is not being personally terrorised and as such there isnot actually a terrorist enemy.
however the people of the middle-east are purely trying to protect their own land, their own citizens and their oil oil/phosphorous and now and again a small group of middle easterners decide enough is enough.

i do find it funny that any middle easterner with a gun (the army and security guards protecting and defending their territory and on lookout posts protecting the oil fields) are called terrorists.

so lets flip this scenario of terrorism around
afterall if an american on an american piece of land that was an oil field, and that american knew people were going to kill him and steal his oil. wouldnt he be within his rights to hold a gun and maybe use land mines to keep his property safe and keep himself alive
would we describe this american protecting his land and life a terrorist. of course not. Then after taking his land, killing his security guards, killing his family and friends bombing the local army base. would you then call ALL american's terrorists purely because a small group of people wanted revenge?

You do realize you get killed or they force you to do thing if you do not pay a tax right? This isn't like some good time terrorist group. They kill their own people all the time for reasons and for no reasons. I don't understand how you can think at this level. THEY ARE TERRORISTS and they are gonna take what they want. They will take your computer or kill your wife for not paying them or whatever. Plus since terrorists know about btc and all that they will know people are hiding it, so that blows your whole argument out of the water... people will gladly give up money to save their own life.

There have been many times throughout history that an invading force has robbed the citizens of the country they invaded of their money and property. It would make a lot of sense to use whatever money they will not need in the short term to buy bitcoin as long as they have a way to store the keys in a way that would not require them to have physical possession of some kind of equipment. In other words as long as they can store the keys securely in the cloud.

i love how media have spoonfed this info to you.

i bet you even think that Baghdad looks like a shantytown like this:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/12/09/world/1209-atwar-baghdad-eros1.jpg

yet Baghdad actually looks like this:
http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/1x3741376/baghdad_iraq_baghdad_iraq_a_bridge_crosses_the_tigris_river_in_the_capital_city_of_baghdad_2X6401.jpg

That's American exceptionalism - to sell the American dream, just like the alternate section on this forum, you have to FUD and make everything else look bad.

I was interested to read your posts, you connect using bitcoin with terrorist crimes. and if they want to keep online bitcoin wallet should use as the use of personal wallet on a PC or gadget that will be at risk destroyed or stolen by them. and you can not be anything

Well been as most of the infrastructure in Iraq has nearly been completely destroyed with little or no access to electricity or the internet, I doubt many Iraqi's are in a position to buy any btc.

Because they have bigger problems. I know most people are poor and can't connect to internet. Even some people know about Bitcoin, they don't have any money to buy and hold it. Not everybody live like USA citizens. I think you don't know anything about living in Middle East.

They are real morons.

Never use their brains for good cause.

Yes, this is true.
people who had to flee from the ISIS terror have no time to think about bitcoin, nor have the ability and resources to buy Bitcoin.
They are fighting for their life.

How do we know that many people under ISIS rule aren't using BTC?  If it was so prevalent that we were aware of it, than ISIS would be aware of it as well and would raid / torture people looking for private keys.

People under ISIS rule are too busy avoiding getting slaughtered, trying to find haven in a war torn region, and basically living on necessities like food and water.

I don't think Cryptocurrencies are at the top of their mind.

It's not that easy, about 400 years ago when Manchurians invaded China. Manchurians made a law in occupied territory, that each month the Chinese must pay 3 bushels of grain per person (doesn't matter how you get it, you can buy it or grow it yourself) OR be beheaded.

ISIS could just adopt a similar policy.

These two pictures are highly focused on a small area of Iraq (I assume that the 1st picture is taken in Iraq). It is true that a lot of Iraq is war torn (as it has been going through one war or another for over 10 years now) but a lot of it is also somewhat modernized and beautiful and has a lot of history.

The people under ISIS likely fear for their lives and have little money to worry about it getting stolen. If they wanted to they could convert it to bitcoin, however the ISIS is not killing Christians because of their money, and are generally not taking a lot of money, but are rather killing because of their religion.

They haven't heard of it.  In the future though situations like will help drive people to bitcoin.

Does ISIS even allow use of the internet?  From what I've seen that group is no joke. They were so extremist that Al Queda said no thank you to them.

This should have been the 2nd and last post of this retarded thread. How fucking sheltered are you people?

lol shut up

ISIS are a bunch of lunatic Sunnis who've taken control of the Sunni dominated region in a place where the security forces didn't give a rats ass.

They're media savvy lunatics who filled a vacuum, don't fall for their propaganda. They'd get stomped if they invaded any other country.

Iraqis are a weak people who won't fight to save their own countrymen. If you dropped the entire ISIS force into any western nation they'd be stomped so thoroughly it'd be laughable.

As for why people in Iraq aren't using bitcoin, are you fuckin shitting me? The post above this one sums it up, how fucking sheltered are you idiots? They have bigger concerns on their mind, like the genocidal lunatics running around in humvees.

As far as I know, there are a few users from Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) active here in Bitcointalk. But I have never encountered anyone from the Central or Southern cities, such as Baghdad or Basra.

Most likely because it is hard to get it and hard to use it. Remember you have to have internet connection and a mobile phone at least to buy it and use it. Not everyone has that, and that is holding it back. In my opinion at least.

Most of the people living in cities such as Baghdad and Basra are having broadband internet connection, although the same can't be said about the rural areas, such as the ISIS-infected villages of Al-Anbar.  ;D

yes it's true, or they are busy enlarging their network area.

because in my country so in condemns ISIS

Is this true in Iraq? Broadband?

Almost everywhere in Iran, even Tehran, was 56k connection in internet cafes. Only in companies did they have broadband

Whether they actually use it or not is not really relevant.

What's relevant is the accusation that they do. It's a little too good to be true, but there are no fact checks in the news.

If you wanted to destroy bitcoin today, associating it with ISIS might be a one of the easier ways... It's really hard to have a good comeback, because you can't really prove that they don't, so whatever you say you're screwed because it will sound like you acknowledge it as a fact the second you open your mouth.

From what I can tell from news reports, most of the places that the ISIS has under it's control are more rural areas, and a lot of what they have under their control are the mountains in Iraq. It may make some level of sense for people in the major cities in Iraq to buy bitcoin prior to the ISIS taking over where they live.