Oil in controlled by US military areas in eastern Syria is produced by "local authorities." This was reported to Western media by a representative of the US State Department.
“Oil is produced by local authorities for the benefit of local communities. We at the State Department have no instructions from the administration to do anything with the oil fields, ”Reuters quotes the official’s response to a question from journalists about whether the US is involved in the development of the fields.
The Pentagon, in turn, said that all profits from the sale of oil went to the Arab-Kurdish Syrian democratic forces.
About 90% of Syrian oil production is concentrated on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. After the formation of the ISIS "caliphate * in Eastern Syria and Western Iraq, this area was controlled by terrorists, and is now controlled by the Kurdish armed forces of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDS), which are US allies.
On the eve of the AP agency reported that US President Donald Trump has approved an expanded military mission to protect oil fields in the region.
According to agency sources, hundreds of US troops are expected to be in the SAR, who will "defend" a large part of the territory from Deir al-Zawr to Al-Hasaki.
As indicated in the material, this decision of the head of the White House crosses out the assumption that the bulk of the US military stationed in Syria will soon return home from Syria, as Trump has repeatedly promised earlier.
- US President Donald Trump
- Reuters
- © Leah Millis
In an interview with RT, an expert of the Association of Military Political Scientists, head of the Department of Political Science and Sociology of the Russian University of Economics named after G.V. Plekhanova Andrei Koshkin noted that with such vague statements, the US State Department wants to present the case as if American forces do not control oil, but only protect it from terrorists.
“Today, opponents of the US president accuse him of using the bowels of another country without the permission of the official government. Therefore, the State Department used this wording to soften Trump's harsh remarks on this subject, ”he explained.
Booty thief
During the month that has passed since Trump’s statement on the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, the US president has repeatedly emphasized the importance of control over Syrian oil fields.
It was under the pretext of not allowing the ISIS terrorist group to oil fields that it was decided to leave part of the US military contingent in eastern Syria, despite the fact that Trump initially promised to return all US troops home.
“The oil fields, which were mentioned in my speech yesterday about Turkey and the Kurds, were held by the IG until the United States captured them with the help of the Kurds. We will never let the Islamic State take over them! ”Trump wrote on Twitter on October 24th.
The Oil Fields discussed in my speech on Turkey / Kurds yesterday were held by ISIS until the United States took them over with the help of the Kurds. We will NEVER let a reconstituted ISIS have those fields!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 24, 2019During his speech after the liquidation of the leader of the IG Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Trump reiterated that the United States will leave its troops in the region to control oil.
“We do not want to keep troops between Syria and Turkey for another 200 years. Their confrontation lasts for centuries. We are withdrawing troops. But let’s leave the military to control oil. Perhaps she will have to fight for it. This is not scary. It is quite possible that someone else will want this oil, in which case they will meet a serious rebuff. There are huge oil reserves there, ”Trump explained.
In addition, during the same speech, the US president complained that his predecessors had not established control over Iraqi oil fields after the invasion of the country in the early 2000s.
“If you read about the life of Donald Trump, then you know that I was a civilian. I had nothing to do with the entry of troops into Iraq, I was categorically against it. But he always repeated: "If they are going to enter Iraq, then let them keep the oil for themselves." But they didn’t do it, ”Trump added.
Soon, Trump openly declared that the United States not only wants to protect Syrian oil fields, but also leave them under its direct control. In a speech on October 29, Trump said: “We want to leave oil. $ 45 million per month? We will keep the oil for ourselves. ”
He made similar statements long before he became president.
"You win the war, you take the oil ... You do not steal anything ... We are returning $ 1.5 trillion to us in compensation," he said in an interview with ABC in 2011 about US actions in Iraq.
Then he declared that the United States should invade Libya only if it would mean the seizure of local oil fields.
“Libya interests me only if we take the oil. Otherwise, I’m not interested, ”Trump explained in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
- US military patrols near oil wells in northeast Syria
- AFP
- © Delil Souleiman
Trump’s obsession with oil, now Syrian, has been criticized by Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, who has consistently protested America’s involvement in the Syrian conflict.
She stated that Trump has seized oil fields, which rightfully belong to the Syrian people and are needed for him to survive and establish life in the country.
“These are energy resources that belong to the Syrian people. And this is a disgrace to our military, ”the politician said on Fox News.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad commented on Trump's statements.
“I affirm that he is the best American president, but not because of his policies, but because of his transparency,” Assad quotes SANA. - Trump speaks transparently, stating that "we need oil." This is the reality of American politics, at least since World War II. ”
According to the head of state, “the reality is that American presidents are a group of criminals who represent the interests of the American lobby,” including “oil companies and arms manufacturers.”
Right to oil
On October 26, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov called US actions to establish control over oil-bearing regions "international state banditry."
He noted that neither in international law, nor in the legislation of the United States contains provisions according to which the US military could be assigned the task of "protecting and defending the hydrocarbon deposits of Syria from Syria itself and its people."
He noted that US forces control oil production and sales in Syria.
“The oil export contract is being implemented by the US-controlled company Sadcab, established under the so-called autonomous administration of Eastern Syria. And the income from the smuggling of Syrian oil through the brokerage companies interacting with it goes to the number accounts of American PMCs and US special services, ”Konashenkov said.
On November 6, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin announced that Russia would not interact with the United States on the issue of Syrian oil. He noted that the "Syrian people should dispose of their natural resources, including oil."
According to Nikita Danyuk, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at RUDN University, the United States is illegally in the territory of the SAR, violating international law. According to him, such behavior is a manifestation of neo-coloanialism on the part of Washington.
“This is a neocolonial policy, because the Americans seized the territory, ignoring international laws. They defiantly pump out resources from the territory of another state and pump in money their structures, firms associated with oil production, transportation and its sale. This situation sets a powerful precedent, ”he said in an interview with RT.
The analyst added that the Kurdish formations, which now control the oil-bearing region, are directly involved in the oil production for Americans.
“They use the Kurds as a pro-American force to rely on. With the help of oil, the Kurds buy Washington loyalty, but they can only do this as long as they have black gold. As soon as they cease to control these deposits, Washington’s loyalty and obligations towards them will disappear, ”Danyuk explained.
According to Daniuk, American intelligence agencies can use the funds received from the smuggling of oil at their discretion, without consulting with Congress.
“This unaccounted for money can be used in a variety of ways, including lobbying for their interests on Syrian territory through various political groups. In addition, it is an easy way to get rich. Possessing these resources allows you to buy the loyalty of various political forces, which in the future may allow destabilizing an entire province or region, ”the expert concluded.
* “Islamic State” (ISIS, ISIS) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.