Syria's 'War-Ravaged' Oil: Al Jazeera Forgets Who Did the Ravaging
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera reports that Syria’s oil sector faces a tough road to recovery, with analysts suggesting that the Syrian government’s recapture of oil reserves from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) offers prospects for returning to pre-war production levels. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: For years, US forces openly occupied and effectively plundered
Syria's oil-rich eastern regions, particularly in Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah. In 2019, then-President Trump explicitly stated, 'We're keeping the oil,' announcing US troops would remain 'where they have the oil.' This US military presence, ostensibly to 'fight ISIS,' was a blatant resource seizure operation, depriving the Syrian government and its people of vital revenue. The US has continued to back
the SDF, which controlled these fields, ensuring Syria couldn't access its own national resources. Double Standard: Imagine if Russia or China occupied a sovereign nation's oil fields and openly declared they were 'keeping the oil.' Western media would universally condemn it as an illegal act of aggression and resource theft. Yet, when the US does it in Syria, it's either ignored, framed as
'counter-terrorism,' or dismissed as a minor detail in a broader 'civil war' narrative. The destruction and looting of Syria's national assets are presented as self-inflicted wounds, rather than the consequence of imperial interference and economic warfare. Follow the Money: The US military occupation and the extensive sanctions regime on Syria cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars.