President Trump has indicated that he intends to keep US troops in Syria to maintain military control over oil in the country’s east, and wants a US oil company to take some of that oil while they’re at it.
The scheme is being endorsed by only a handful of officials, like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who argues that it’s common sense to take Syria’s oil. More broadly, law professors and analysts are rejecting the idea, saying it is “immoral and possibly illegal.“
Emory Law professor Laurie Blank says that “international law seeks to protect against exactly this sort of exploitation.” Other analysts said convincing a big US company to operate there would be a “tough sell,” while both Exxon Mobil and Chevron denied all comment on the matter.
Understandably, some countries are also rejecting the idea that the US can just take oil militarily, with Russian officials accusing the US of “international banditry.” Russia is allied with Syria and understandably opposed to Syria losing its oil to an occupying power.
Trump’s Scheme to Take Syrian Oil Draws Rebukes
Professors see major legal challenges to seizing oil
Join the Discussion!
We welcome thoughtful and respectful comments. Hateful language, illegal content, or attacks against Antiwar.com will be removed.
For more details, please see our Comment Policy.
