The US “occupation forces have plundered large quantities of Syrian oil” from the country’s al-Jazeera oil fields and transported it to their bases in Iraq, reported the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Tuesday, April 11.
According to SANA, at least 77 vehicles including 32 tankers transported Syrian oil across the border to Iraq via the “illegitimate al-Walid” crossing. This is the second time the transport of Syrian oil has been reported in the last month. The US occupation forces had reportedly also transported Syrian oil using 80 tankers on March 25.
Syria has repeatedly raised the issue of US forces looting its oil and other natural resources under the guise of fighting terrorism, thus depriving the Syrian government of crucial resources to rebuild the country.
The Syrian economy has severely contracted due to over a decade of war and unilateral sanctions imposed by the US and its allies. The massive earthquake that hit the country in February, killing over 6,000 Syrians, also led to large-scale devastation in its northwest regions.
In December, the Syrian government claimed that the US forces directly looted Syrian oil and other natural resources, including crucial agricultural products, worth over US$ 25 billion, and were also involved in the looting of over US$ 86 billion indirectly.
Once an oil exporting country, Syria’s main oil fields are now under the control of the US and its local allies.
The US forces, which were originally deployed in Syria at the time of the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2015, have not left the country despite declaring victory over the terrorist group in 2019. Instead, the US has established an illegal base at al-Tanf, in the Syrian Homs province, and allegedly provides training and weapons to anti-government forces in the country.
