© Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
© Ministry of Defence of the Russian FederationOil transit vehicles gather in Deir ez-Zor Province, Syria, 10 km east of Al Mayadin
© Ministry of Defence of the Russian FederationOil transit vehicles gather near Al-Omar oil station in Deir ez-Zor Province, Syria, 14 km east of Al Mayadin
Pentagon chief Mark Esper said Friday that the US intended to take measures in the near future to strengthen its position in the Syrian region of Deir ez-Zor in order to prevent terrorists from
accessing oil fields. According to the defense secretary, Washington is studying how to move forces in the region so that "to ensure the safety of oil fields."
*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia
Comment: More of Konashenkov's
statement:
"What Washington does now - the capture and holding under its armed control of oil fields in Eastern Syria is, simply speaking, an international state banditism," he said, adding that Syrian oil reserves and other mineral resources belong solely to the Syrian Arab Republic, not to Daesh terrorists or to "American protectors from Daesh terrorists""Neither international law, nor the American legislation itself can justify the US troops' goal to guard Syrian hydrocarbon reserves from Syria itself and its people," the statement reads.
...
The oil was smuggled in tanker truck convoys, guarded both by US servicemen and the mercenaries of private military contractors (PMCs), the ministry spokesman said.
"Meanwhile, Washington imposed sanctions on shipping hydrocarbons to Syria, which spans not only US companies, but everyone else," the statement says.
Despite that, oil extraction is being conducted using equipment provided by "leading Amercian corporations", Konashenkov said.
...
According to the statement, oil extraction was conducted by a US-controlled company, created under the so-called "Autonomous Administration of East Syria".
The smuggling revenue went through intermediary companies to US intelligence agency and PMC bank accounts, he said.
"Considering one barrel of Syrian oil costs $38, the monthly revenue of this 'private enterprise' of US intelligence agencies is more than $30 million," the statement reads. "For such a constant flow of cash, free of state control and taxes, Pentagon and Langley management will be ready to guard Syrian oil wells from 'hidden Daesh cells' indefinitely."
In the Americans' credit, they're not hiding it anymore. Trump said they would 'secure the oil', and they have since threatened to shoot anyone coming near their oil-smuggling operations.
We're a long way from humanitarian interventions now, eh?
This is not the first time the Russians have released damning photographic evidence in the course of the Syrian war at important junctures. Here are a couple of reminders:
It is safe to say that, the U.S.-led regimes have always supported, armed and defended every major terrorist organisation in the world today. It’s all driven by the interests of Fascist Israel.