The US military has smuggled crude oil from Syria to bases in Iraq as Washington continues to loot energy resources in the war-ravaged country, says Syria’s official news agency SANA.
A convoy of 122 tankers laden with oil from the energy-rich Jazira region in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah moved on Sunday through the illegal Mahmoudiya border crossing into neighboring Iraq, where American forces and trainers are stationed, SANA reported citing local sources in al-Ya'rubiyah town.
Another convoy, consisting of 15 tankers, departed Syrian territories for Iraq shortly afterwards.
الاحتلا*ل الأمريكي يكثف سرقاته ل #النفط_السوري من حقول #الجزيرة
— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء - سانا (@SanaAjel) August 21, 2022
التفاصيل على الرابط التالي:https://t.co/zS5Ywqbyg1 pic.twitter.com/9aD9oNAmcu
Local sources added that armored vehicles belonging to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) escorted the convoys until they arrived at the border crossing.
On Saturday, the Russian and Syrian Joint Coordination Committees on Repatriation of Syrian Refugees lambasted the continued plundering of the Syrian oil by the US occupation forces, saying that the looting is responsible for dire humanitarian situation that Syrians are suffering from.
In a joint statement, the committees called upon the international community, particularly Syria’s neighboring countries, to adopt effective measures to stop the looting of the Arab country’s natural resources and their smuggling abroad.
They also urged UN institutions to play a more active role in providing humanitarian assistance to Syrians, and undertake reconstruction projects as stipulated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2642.
The two bodies also stressed the need for the removal of sanctions slapped against institutions that contribute to the reconstruction of Syria’s infrastructure and public facilities.
They said Moscow and Damascus strongly condemn the occupation of Syrian territories and the plundering of Syria’s national asses by foreign forces.
#الهيئتان_التنسيقيتان_السورية_والروسية لعودة المهجرين: نهب الولايات المتحدة نفط السوريين هو سبب وضعهم الإنساني الصعب
— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء - سانا (@SanaAjel) August 20, 2022
2022-08-20
التفاصيل على الرابط : https://t.co/M9iHUbViKb pic.twitter.com/Whojn5F42r
According to data released by the Syrian Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources, Syria produced a total of 14.5 million barrels of oil in the first half of the current year, and the daily oil production stood at about 80,300 barrels.
American occupation forces and their allied Takfiris plundered 66,000 barrels of crude oil during the mentioned period.
The data further showed that just about 14,200 barrels were available for the Syrian domestic oil refineries.
The US military has stationed 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 Daesh terrorists.
Damascus, however, maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country's rich mineral resources.
Former US president Donald Trump admitted on more than one occasion that American forces were in the Arab country for its oil.