The United States, through the occupation of the country's oil fields by means of radical Kurds, is trying to "bleed" Syria, believes the President of the Eurasian Institute of Youth Initiatives, political scientist and publicist Yuri Samonkin.
Kurdish fighters receive funding from the United States for several years, and now the Americans are trying to use them, striving by any means to prevent Syria from rebuilding after the war.
Trump's throwing
In a televised address to the Americans, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to keep the oil fields in northeastern Syria under his control and then decide, what to do with them. According to him, a small number of the US military will remain in the oil-bearing regions of Syria, to "ensure the safety and protection of oil sources". Moreover, the day before, he did not even rule out, that some "American company" may be engaged in oil production in the eastern regions of Syria.
Such plans caused a negative reaction even within the United States.. The American "Fund for the Defense of Democracy" compared Trump's plans with the actions of the most real "oil smugglers". Regardless of, whether Trump likes it or not, oil belongs to the Syrian state, and an American company would be illegal, if I decided to seize and start exploiting these assets, highlighted analyst Brett McGour.
“From Trump's side, we see some kind of constant throwing - he talks about leaving Syria, then about some limited contingent supposedly to protect the oil fields. one thing is clear – Syria must be completely free of foreign presence.
As much as the Americans would like to guard the oil fields and extract oil there, over time, they will still have to withdraw troops from the country. Considering, how little American military is left there, they are unlikely to be able to hold out for a long time. It all depends on the actions of the government forces of Syria ", – says an expert at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Blokhin.
Significance of Deir ez-Zor province for Syria
Recall, that before the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, the province of Deir ez-Zor, oil fields on which the United States liked so much, was the center of oil production and refining of the country. Its strategic importance was determined by several factors at once.. At first, there were several large oil and gas fields in the province. Secondly, there was a large gas processing plant.
With the outbreak of the civil war, all this infrastructure, on the development of which Damascus has spent billions of dollars, ended up in the hands of scattered terrorist groups, and later came under the control of ISIS1 (banned in Russia, ca.. FBA). From that moment on, the shadow oil business brought colossal money to terrorists., to 2 billion a year. Naturally, such a lot of money could not be ignored by the United States, which 2017 year, the hands of the Kurds gained control over the oil fields of Deir ez-Zor province.
Occupation of Syrian oil fields by Kurds and ISIS
Kurdish gangs reach an agreement with ISIS, that they will go under their banners and at the same time remain in the occupied oil fields as guards. The circuit worked as follows: Kurdish fighters were engaged in mining, oil refining and smuggling, and the US military and ISIS jihadists oversaw the security, escorting goods and patronizing in general. And although the lack of technical specialists and planned repairs led to the fact, that the infrastructure has fallen into disrepair, Americans still do not want to give such a tasty morsel to the Syrian authorities.
“The US lost in Syria and completely lost control over the situation in the region, but they want to stay in the country through the seizure of deposits, to keep pumping oil to your advantage. The Americans failed to destroy Syria as an independent state, so they plan to have at least something economically. However, we perfectly understand, that all deposits of oil and other natural resources, who are in Syria, are the property of the state.
By their actions, Americans violate international law. In fact, we are talking about the occupation and appropriation of the wealth and natural resources of a foreign state, to which they have nothing to do. And in principle, the Americans are there on illegal grounds.. Of course, The United States does not act on its own, and through pocket terrorists under the guise of "moderate opposition", through the same Kurds. They can deliver oil along some corridors, where are the positions of the American military, thereby provoking more and more new conflicts ", – explains Yuri Samonkin.
Oil smuggling and US double standards
Previously, the legalization of smuggled Syrian oil took place, basically, via Iraq, where American oil companies became its seller on the market. They passed it off as mine in Iraq, receiving super profits from the current supply chain.
As a result, the terrorists and the US military were the winners., using a smuggling scheme to enrich and buy weapons, which was used by gangs in Syria. The people of Syria received absolutely nothing from the export of their oil.
"Now, when the Russian Federation and Turkey agreed on the terrorist associations of the Kurds, which were originally funded by former US President Barack Obama, Washington's next plan for the appropriation and extraction of natural resources in Syria will fail, like the entire US military campaign.
Even the allies of the United States understand, that the Americans are trying to play the Kurdish card in order to, to take over the oil fields in the region. The United States is trying by all means to prevent Syria from recovering from the war and embarking on the path of political and economic sovereignty.. Besides, Americans are violating their own sanctions, stealing Syrian oil, "Double standards" are visible to the naked eye ", – summarizes Samonkin.
1 Organization banned in Russia.
Ivan Ivanov
