Study shows how Islamic State built arsenal in Middle East A new study traces an international procurement network that the Islamic State group cultivated over years. Islamic State assembled weapons materials through an international network of buyers A small phone store buys six tons of aluminum paste. A fertilizer dealer is interested in 78 tons of a food additive. A British company orders motion control software from the United States — but the bill is paid by a luxury car hire company in Turkey. The organization known as Islamic State assembled the components of its weapons arsenal through transactions like these over years.