Syria’s oil fields have long since fallen out of the government’s control, with the major fields in the east mostly abandoned by military forces that have centered around the nation’s southwest. But where is that oil production now?
The answer in Raqqa is that the oil fields are now al-Qaeda property, with the group’s Syrian faction Jabhat al-Nusra running the show, keeping the crude flowing, selling it off to the mini-refineries cropping up around the area, and pocketing the profits.
When the government abandoned the oilfields, rebels of many different stripes moved in. But they fought each other too, and increasingly, the whole region is under Nusra control, as indeed much of Syria is.
And while the international community continues to insist it opposes Nusra in favor of more moderate rebels, the plans by the EU to start buying oil in deals approved by the SNC are already in motion. The SNC, itself Islamist in nature, will likely get a cut for approving the deals, but so long as the fields are dominated by al-Qaeda fighters, they will be getting the lion’s share of the money.
OK.., and to whom they are going to sale the oil too…, perhaps BP which is the oil company supplying the us militarism.., or the Saudis whom supply the USA militarism actively at war in Persian gulf.., or to Bahraini or Qatari whom then sale it to BP.., paying the salary of their mercenaries or supply arms to bandits of their choice in syria.., or Dick Cheney or Bush oil companies will buy it very cheep.., like $ 1 1/2 a tanker and then sale at the USA market with 1000% over priced profit.., com on Mr. Jason Ditz.., your story is a half story as usual.
Support our troops! When Al Qaeda fights as our proxy army it just moral from point of view of EU politicians to support it. As we know this kind of support is playing with the fire and for sure it will come to bite us. Sooner or later. However, today's politicians will be by that time in safe heaven (somewhere in Carribic) with all the profits they can cut for themselves of this al-Qaeda oil.
you do understand Richard Spencer is a shill for the rebels, right?
Just look at the way he's loaded his words? "..The oil fields once belonging to Assad., …the oil fields that once propped up the Assad regime…"?
He personalizes it for best propaganda, and antiwar is going to take it lying down? No contention? Have you guys read Spencer's excuses for the organ eating Salafists in Syria? It's pathetic example of circular thinking, and his biggest complaint, why did the desecration of a corpse and the eating of human flesh make bigger headlines than "Assad's regime" (alleged) butchering of civilians in a NW Syrian village…? Seriously. Spencer's reporting his highly loaded. And should be taken with a degree of skepticism.
I guess it might be going a little far to say that the oil fields "belonged to Assad." In fact, he only owns (through the state) 50% of Syria's main oil company. The rest is owned by western concerns.
Since when did al-Qaeda have a Syrian wing?
I guess al-Qaeda is decimated and reformulated when and where ever we say so. Or should I say, when and where they are most needed at any given time.
I gotta stop asking so many questions and just trust Big Brother, who knows best.