US Forces Smuggle Stolen Syrian Oil into Bases in Iraq

By Staff, Agencies

The US military forces have reportedly smuggled a new consignment of stolen Syrian oil to American bases in Iraq.

On Thursday, Syria’s official news agency SANA cited local sources as saying that a US convoy of 45 tankers carrying stolen oil crossed into northern Iraq through the “illegal” al-Mahmoudia crossing.

According to the report, the oil was stolen from al-Jazeera oil fields.

The US military has for long stationed its forces and equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of the Wahhabi Daesh [Arabic acronym for “ISIS” / “ISIL”] terrorists.

Damascus, however, maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country’s natural resources. Former US president Donald Trump admitted on several occasions that American forces were in the Arab country for its oil wealth.

In infamous comments made in 2019, Trump said: “We’re keeping [Syria’s] oil. We have the oil. The oil is secure. We left troops behind only for the oil.”

Several countries, including Russia and China, have condemned US actions in plundering the Syrian resources and have called on Washington to stop its continued looting of the war-torn country’s natural resources.