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US military tankers smuggle crude oil from Syria's Hasakah to bases in Iraq

Saturday, 04 March 2023 4:55 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 04 March 2023 5:06 PM ]

American military vehicles are seen in an oil-rich region in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah. (File photo via Twitter)

The US military has reportedly used dozens of tanker trucks to smuggle crude oil from Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah to bases in neighboring Iraq, as Washington continues to ferociously loot energy resources in the war-torn country.

A convoy of 23 tankers, laden with oil from the energy-rich Jazira region, left Syria through the illegal Mahmoudiya border crossing on Saturday, and headed towards Iraqi territories, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported citing local sources.

Another 34 US military tankers, loaded with Syrian crude oil, rumbled through al-Waleed border crossing of al-Ya'rubiyah region in separate convoys and entered the Iraqi territories.

The development came nearly a week after the US military smuggled a consignment of stolen Syrian oil into the northern Iraqi region.

#الحسكة #سانا

واصلت قوات الاحتلال الأمريكي سرقة #النفط السوري، وأخرجت خلال الساعات الماضية عدداً من الصهاريج المحملة بهذا النفط المسروق باتجاه الأراضي العراقية.
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— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء - سانا (@SanaAjel) February 27, 2023

SANA reported that American occupation forces used 34 tankers to plunder the natural resources of the Arab country through the illegal Mahmoudiya crossing.

On January 9, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nation called for an immediate end to the illegal presence of US military forces and their continuing plundering of natural resources and wheat crops in Syria, stressing that unilateral Western sanctions against the Arab nation must be fully lifted.

The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria must be effectively respected. The illegal stationing and military operations of foreign troops in Syria must end, and the illegal plundering of natural resources in Syria by foreign troops must stop immediately, Dai Bing said.

US inflicted huge losses on Syrian economy through war, sanctions: Syrian officials

Syria suffers harsh economic woes because of the US military presence in the country and looting of its natural resources, Syrian officials say.

Dai said unilateral sanctions and the resulting over-compliance run counter to the efforts of the Security Council and the wider international community to improve humanitarian access and increase humanitarian resources in Syria. “China once again calls on relevant countries to immediately and fully lift unilateral sanctions against Syria.”

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 Daesh 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.

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