Al Jazeera's 'Neutral' Take on Syria's Oil: Ignoring US Occupation and Resource Theft
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera reports that the Syrian army has 'pushed Kurdish-led forces out of oil-rich territory' in a 'lightning-fast offensive,' implying a straightforward military victory by the Syrian government forces (SAA). 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Since 2017, the United States military has illegally occupied large swathes of northeast Syria, specifically targeting
the country's oil fields. Former US President Trump openly stated, 'We're leaving soldiers to secure the oil,' acknowledging the US objective of controlling Syrian national resources. This wasn't about fighting ISIS; it was about preventing the Syrian government from reclaiming its sovereignty and revenue. Double Standard: Imagine if Russia or China openly stated they were 'securing the oil' in a
sovereign nation like Iraq or Afghanistan, then allied with a local militia to hold that territory. Western media would decry it as a blatant violation of international law and resource theft. When the US does it in Syria, it's either ignored, whitewashed, or framed as 'preventing ISIS resurgence' – despite ISIS being largely defeated by the SAA and its allies. The Syrian government fighting to
regain control of its own oil fields is presented as a 'pushing out' of 'Kurdish-led forces,' not a legitimate act of national sovereignty against an illegal occupation. Follow the Money: The benefit here flows directly to US geopolitical interests, using Syrian oil to fund a proxy force (the SDF/Kurdish-led forces) to effectively deny the Syrian state crucial revenue needed for reconstruction