US occupation loots 88 Syrian oil tankers, smuggles them to Iraq bases
SANA says that a US convoy loaded with looted Syrian oil left from the illegitimate Al-Mahmoudiyah crossing and entered Iraqi territory.
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US occupation convoys smuggling Syrian oil to its bases in Iraq (Archive)
Syrian news agency SANA reported Friday that the US occupation forces looted a new batch of Syrian oil from Al-Jazeera fields and smuggled them to their bases in Iraq.
The Syrian news agency quoted local sources from Al-Yarubiyah countryside as saying that "a convoy of the US occupation forces, consisting of 88 tankers loaded with stolen Syrian oil, left from the illegitimate Al-Mahmoudiyah crossing and entered Iraqi territory."
The local sources mentioned that the US convoy exited the Syrian territories toward the bases of the US occupation in northern Iraq.
This is not the first time that the US occupation loots Syrian oil and deprives Syrians of their country's wealth. In fact, in early September, Syrian media cited sources as saying that the US occupation forces illegally transported 98 tanker trucks filled with oil from Syria to Iraq.
US occupation soldiers transported the oil in two convoys, consisting of 73 and 25 tanker trucks from northeastern Syria, SANA reported, citing sources from Al-Hasakah Province.
It is noteworthy that in August, the Syrian Oil Ministry revealed that the US occupation forces loot the majority of Syria's oil, knowing that the daily production of the eastern oil fields is 80.3 thousand barrels.
The United States has been for years supporting the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militias, and the US-backed forces are currently occupying parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, and Raqqa, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located.
The actions carried out by the United States constitute state piracy with the aim of plundering Syria's oil resources and depriving the Syrians of their own resources amid a harsh economic situation caused largely by the US occupiers.
On August 15, SANA said the US smuggled dozens of tankers loaded with stolen Syrian oil through the illegal Al-Mahmoudiyah border crossing.
"Over the past hours, the US occupation forces brought out a convoy of 100 tankers filled with Syrian oil from Al-Hasaka countryside to its bases in the Iraqi lands through the crossing," local sources from Al-Yarubiyah countryside told SANA.
Similarly, the news agency reported on August 14, citing sources, that the US occupation forces in Syria looted 89 oil tankers and smuggled them into Iraq through illegal crossings.
What is the US doing in Syria?
Besides being an occupation that backs armed groups for its own operations and agenda in the region, the US occupation forces continue to steal Syrian oil by smuggling it from their bases in Syria to their bases in Iraq.
Convoys of tens of vehicles, including tankers loaded with stolen oil from oil fields occupied by US forces in Syria, are frequently seen crossing toward northern Iraq, in addition to trucks loaded with military equipment.
The US interference in the crisis-stricken Middle Eastern country continues to be exposed, from occupation to military agenda and the theft of oil.
Russian-Syrian coordination: The US is looting Syrian oil
In late August, the Syrian and Russian Coordination Bodies Meeting accused in a joint statement the US of continually looting Syrian oil, being the cause behind the difficult situation that the Syrian people have been suffering from.
The two bodies called on the international community, especially countries neighboring Syria, to implement strict measures to put the smuggling of the Syrian people's wealth out of the country to a halt.
Furthermore, they also called for the activation of the role of the United Nations and its institutions in taking more initiatives to expand humanitarian activities in Syria, regarding projects related to early reconstruction, as stipulated by UN Security Council Resolution No. 2642.
Many initiatives were stressed as important, notably lifting the sanctions on institutions that contribute to reconstructing facilities that generate water, electricity, hospitals, bakeries, housing, and beyond.
The joint statement read, "Russia and Syria strongly condemn the occupation of Syrian lands and the looting of the wealth of the Syrian people by the occupying forces. According to data issued by the Syrian Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources, the United States and its allies loot daily about 66,000 barrels of extracted oil."
The two bodies added, "Washington's looting of Syrian oil has reached its limits; it is the reason why the difficult humanitarian situation persists, as millions of Syrians suffer from shortages of energy, food, water, and other necessary materials."
