Damascus Accuses US Forces of Plundering Syrian Oil
Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry reiterated accusations against the United States that it was plundering Syrian oil and sending them to Iraq.
It condemned the practice as “piracy”, a “return to colonial practices” and violation of international law and United Nations conventions.
It called on the UN Security Council to condemn the practices and put an end to them.
Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported on Friday that US forces had sent 50 tankers of stolen oil from Syria to US bases in northern Iraq.
They have increased the theft of Syrian oil over the past few weeks with the help of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said SANA.
The US forces stole 398 tankers of oil in one week in August and sent them to bases in Iraq.
The Syrian Oil Ministry said in a statement that the US is stealing an average of 66,000 barrels of oil per day, about 80 percent of the country’s oil production.
The Syrian war has cost its oil industry losses of $105 billion.
Syria is already suffering from a fuel and energy crisis that has led to a hike in prices and soaring inflation.
The crisis deepened after the US adopted the Caesar Act in summer 2020.
The Congress amended the Caesar Act, including imposing sanctions on any trade related to natural gas, electricity, and energy that supports the Syrian regime financially.
The sanctions have complicated the purchase of Syrian oil from the Syrian Democratic Forces, forcing the government in Damascus to continue to rely on Iranian oil.
It called on the UN Security Council to condemn the practices and put an end to them.
Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported on Friday that US forces had sent 50 tankers of stolen oil from Syria to US bases in northern Iraq.
They have increased the theft of Syrian oil over the past few weeks with the help of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said SANA.
The US forces stole 398 tankers of oil in one week in August and sent them to bases in Iraq.
The Syrian Oil Ministry said in a statement that the US is stealing an average of 66,000 barrels of oil per day, about 80 percent of the country’s oil production.
The Syrian war has cost its oil industry losses of $105 billion.
Syria is already suffering from a fuel and energy crisis that has led to a hike in prices and soaring inflation.
The crisis deepened after the US adopted the Caesar Act in summer 2020.
The Congress amended the Caesar Act, including imposing sanctions on any trade related to natural gas, electricity, and energy that supports the Syrian regime financially.
The sanctions have complicated the purchase of Syrian oil from the Syrian Democratic Forces, forcing the government in Damascus to continue to rely on Iranian oil.