With several hundred US troops already planned to stay in Syria to “control the oil,” US convoys are sending more troops into Deir Ezzor Province from neighboring Iraq, and reinforcing the areas around the oilfields.
Exactly how many troops are there, or how many were sent is not known. President Trump previously classified troop levels in Syria, saying the enemy “must never know” of American plans. It’s not clear who the enemy is at this point, since the war’s goal is now controlling the oil.
But President Trump has indicated repeatedly that he intends to retain control over Syria’s oil, and that he believes the US deserves to take some oil for itself out of Syria’s fields.
With Trump escalating talk about taking the oil, it’s clear the US military is being charged with escalating its presence at the oil to preclude anyone from contesting America’s claim to the oil.
If the US really just wanted the oil, it would be cheaper to just buy it.
Trump does not merely “want the oil”. He wants to make dollars to reduce the billowing deficit. I have written above why that is an idiotic scheme. He will not make US taxpayers money but lose even more.
This will not last last very long. These troops will eventually be gone as well as this policy is completely impractical and puts the soldiers in a vulnerable spot on all sides.
Also, when you analyze the cost vs. income issue you realize that more dollars will inevitably be lost than made with this idiotic scheme. Moreover, this scheme of making dollars with Syrian oil is also hugely vulnerable to the price of crude which can be mucked up or down by Russia and/or Saudi Arabia.
A US oil company cannot give one drop of crude oil to the US treasury for free. And foreign oil companies cannot do that either. Our treasury will have to buy every drop of crude at the going price. [1]
Finally, Exxon Mobile is not interested in acquiring rights in the hugely volatile Syria. Rachel Maddow has told us where EM wants to go: Siberia and the Arctic Ocean. In cahoots with Putin. EM is not going to destroy that potential by mucking in Syria. No way. Its shareholders will rebel.
[1] Trump declaring another emergency and impound every drop of Exxon Mobile oil from Syria? Can you imagine what that will do? The NYC stock market will collapse.
You reinforce my point.
Mr. President, what does Rex Tillerson tell you?
I can imagine what Rex Tillerson would say on this idiotic dream of DJT’s, Dieter, that this would be his biggest mistake in the nearly 4 years in office.
DJT must remember that he has an obligation to adhere to both his campaign and his Inaugural promises to end all the endless wars that were started by G. W. Bush and expanded by Barack Obama, and that also means Syria. He promised to withdraw ALL US troops from Syria in mid-December, 2018. Yes, Pompous Pompeo and Bonkers Bolton sabotaged his agenda, but DJT’s the boss, not those 2 warmongers .. Therefore, he should’ve told them he was sticking to that promise; and, if these 2 didn”t like it, they could turn in their resignations.
However, DJT was too weak to stand up to the 2 warmongers on this promise, and there are still at least 1,000 US troops still in the country.
What I’d like to know is just how the US will export Syria’s oil.. By what route?
And does Trump think Syria will stand idly by while its resources are being plundered?
This is just one of Trump’s pipe dream…!
See my comments in the other threads.
Bottom line: It ain’t gonna happen if Russia, China, Iran and Syria don’t want it to happen. And they don’t.
Trump is just being his usual delusional self if he thinks otherwise. Equally likely he is being manipulated by the neocons around him who are using his delusions for their benefit.