On Sunday, the Syrian government strongly condemned a recent deal between a US oil company and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that control the country’s northeast. A government source told Syrian state media that the SDF and US effort to “steal” Syrian oil is “null and void” and has no “legal effect.” The source described the deal as an “integrated and aggravated theft.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed rumors of the deal in a Senate hearing on Thursday when asked about it by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Graham said he spoke with an SDF leader about the agreement, and asked Pompeo if the administration was supportive of the deal.
“We are,” Pompeo responded to Graham, “The deal took a little longer … than we had hoped, and now we’re in implementation.” So far, neither US nor Syrian officials have named the company involved in the agreement.
After President Trump announced his plan to withdraw US troops from northeast Syria in October 2019, Senator Graham, along with retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, urged the president to stay and protect the region’s oil fields from falling into the hands of Iran or ISIS. Trump eventually decided to stay in Syria to “secure the oil.”
The Syrian government considers the US presence in the country to be illegal, so naturally, any US extraction of oil in the region will be regarded as theft. Syria is struggling to rebuild after nine years of war, and heavy US sanctions are only making the situation worse, recent measures specifically target construction and energy sectors.
Stealing oil under whatever agreement with terrorists is of course illegal no matter how you look at it. US occupiers should know that every grain of sand there is hostile to them and that the resistance is only a Katusha rocket attack away. At any moment.
WTF…This news makes one wonder if our government under Trump is Bully/Gangter Central. And those paying attention know who pulls the strings making the show. Rather than look for constructive ways further perceived interests, albeit difficult to see as in any American interest whatsoever. One would think that stealing the resources of basket case Syria would not be worth the loss of hearts & minds of the 100s of million’s of Muslims in the area. Or is it feature rather than fault to enrage the with colonial rape & plunder??? Time will tell how setting them at the throats of all the colonial exploiters and their enablers. Looks like no matter how many wive’s they have, they will never out populate the people who’s necks the knee of empire is lodged upon…!!!
“This news makes one wonder if our government under Trump is Bully/Gangter Central.”
Really? It only makes you “wonder”?
Oil Thieves…!
This oil is in Kurdish territory which is currently being fought over. No reason not to pick up some extra oil with the friendly Kurds while helping them out with the eventual removal of Assad. They get rid of Assad, we get some oil at a discount and everyone wins.
There is no such thing as Kurdish territory unless you count the place these nomads migrated from as their own (Kordistan province in Iran). Just because you was allowed at one point (the 1930’s and onwards in this case) to live there and freely cross the borders back and forth doesn’t mean you own it just like you don’t consider gypsies and bedouins landowners.
The Kurdish occupation and land and resource theft in this Syrian Arab land can only be maintained by force when the US (israel) occupiers leaves and they will, the opportunistic Kurds must negotiate new terms for their status with the central Syrian government. Given their behaviour, it doesn’t look too well for them. Some “guests”!
This should play out in the courts now that they have started marketing the oil.
Good thing the U.S. is not subject to any international law or court i guess then.
Trump was routine thief in business; he didn’t pay contractors. Not surprising.