The United States' Black Hand Extending to the Middle East

On September 14th, the United Nations warned that the recent outbreak of conflict in northeastern Syria could exacerbate the already severe humanitarian crisis there. In fact, since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis 12 years ago, the northeast of Syria has been a major oil producing region and an important granary of concern in the country.

Recently, the Syrian government sent a letter to the United Nations accusing the United States of plundering its "wealth and strategic resources" and demanding compensation from Washington for this.

On September 10th local time, according to the Syrian National News Agency, witnesses captured footage of the US military illegally stealing Syrian oil in Syria. The news agency pointed out that within less than 24 hours from the 9th to the 10th, the US military illegally stationed in Hassaq Province, Syria stole about 95 Syrian oil tankers. In the eyes of locals, the large-scale "oil theft" scene by the US military is no longer a new thing.

Witnesses from Hassyk Province: Syrian oil has been stolen, and we, the people of Hassyk Province, are all witnesses. The situation of oil theft is astonishing.

The US authorities claim to have around 900 US soldiers stationed in Syria, mainly located at the Tanfu military base in southern Syria and the oil rich northeast region. However, according to Syrian observers, the actual number of illegal US troops stationed in Syria may approach 2000, and some soldiers often rotate between US bases in Syria and Iraq.

After the US military steals Syrian oil, it is usually transported to the Kurdish region in northern Iraq for trading and monetization.

On August 24th, in Hamo Village, Hassaq Province, Syria, local villagers intercepted a small convoy related to the US military.

Mahmud, a resident of Hassak Province: People oppose the existence of the US military. They have not done a good thing for us, they have done a lot of bad things.

However, facing a convoy of oil tankers armed with live ammunition and escorted by American armored vehicles, they were angry but helpless.

On September 12th, according to today's Russian television website, the Syrian government recently sent a letter to the United Nations, calling on the United Nations to take action on the US occupation of parts of Syrian territory and illegal exploitation of natural resources in these areas, and demanding that the US pay compensation to Syria.

In the letter, the Syrian side accuses Washington of committing the crime of plundering Syria's "wealth and strategic resources". From 2011 to the first half of 2023, the US military caused direct and indirect losses of up to $115.2 billion to Syria's oil and mineral resources.

Syrian international expert Wald: The presence of the United States in Syria has led to a fundamental change in the situation in Syria, resulting in unprecedented economic difficulties in Syria.

According to official data released by Syria, the daily oil production in the first half of 2022 was approximately 80300 barrels, of which approximately 66000 barrels were plundered by the US military and its supported armed forces every day. That is to say, 82% of Syria's oil has been stolen by the US military.

This directly led to an oil shortage in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Damascus citizen Ibrahim: You can see how crowded the roads are because there is no gasoline, and buses cannot run. People are very angry.

Damascus citizen Ahmed: The mastermind of this crisis is the United States, they stole our oil.

Mustafa runs a fruit and vegetable stall in the central Syrian city of Homs, and the rising oil prices have doubled his cost of transporting vegetables each time.

Mustafa, a fruit and vegetable merchant in Holmes: If the United States returns the oil fields to us, the situation will improve, and prices will be cheaper as before. That way people can at least afford to eat.

Ayam, a carpenter, is also worried. As he has not yet recovered from the war, Holmes has limited power supply time every day, and the machines for cutting and polishing wood cannot operate for a long time.

Homs carpenter Ayam: The power outage has been too long, we can't wait that long. Sometimes there is electricity, sometimes there is no electricity, so a generator needs to be used, which requires gasoline, which is too difficult to find. People want to build houses, but there is no way.

In 2015, under the banner of counter-terrorism, the United States deployed troops to the northeast of Syria without the permission of the Syrian government.

According to the "Power" website of the United States, the United States has deployed a combat unit of the US Army's 1st Armored Division in the oil fields of northeastern Syria, known as the "Joint Task Force", equipped with the M2A2 "Bradley" infantry tank, which is the main active force of the US military.

Claiming to come to fight terrorism, but the fact is exactly the opposite. The United States provided support to several Syrian opposition armed groups, including the Syrian Democratic Army, and together with these armed groups, forcibly occupied most of the oil fields in northeastern Syria.

In the Rumeland oil field in Hassak province, the United States has partnered with the Syrian Democratic Army to open a refinery with an estimated production of 3000 barrels per day.

According to the Syrian National News Agency, the US "instructor" also trained a group of armed militants to attack Syrian government military outposts, important domestic facilities, and civilian targets.

Syrian political analyst Sinan Hassan: The United States is deploying troops to Syria to steal oil and prevent the Syrian military from reclaiming oil fields from extremist groups. For this goal, the United States has launched multiple military actions and adopted a "scorched earth policy", which has resulted in many civilians being killed.

According to the Syrian National News Agency, in May 2020, the US military shot and killed a Syrian civilian in Deir Zor province, solely because the civilian's car deviated from the main road near the Koniko oil field.

In November 2019, then US President Trump talked about the illegal US military presence, without leaving a word for oil.

Former US President Trump: We must preserve oil, we have oil, and oil is safe. We left the army only for oil.

In response, The Washington Post mocked that Trump believed that oil was the "reward" for the United States' military investment in the Middle East, and that the United States received it "openly".

Türkiye's political cartoonist Chifts used cartoons to satirize the United States' Syrian policy as "creating bloody conflicts while illegally stealing oil".

In the autumn of 2019, with Türkiye's strong involvement in northern Syria, the United States withdrew most of its illegal troops, and the remaining U.S. troops were more and more concentrated in oil fields, refineries, and oil transportation routes.

Jassem, the owner of a refinery in Deir Zor Province: Before the Syrian crisis broke out, there were about 150 refineries in this area, and now only one or two are still in operation. No one knows where all the oil here has been transported.

Interestingly, in July 2020, the Middle East Watch website revealed that a little-known energy company had signed a secret agreement with Kurdish militants in northeastern Syria, approved by the White House, to develop and export crude oil from the region.

After following up on the investigation, Politician magazine in the United States pointed out that the company is called Delta New Moon Energy Company and was registered and established in Delaware in February 2019. The company has a strong government and military background, with partners including former US Ambassador to Denmark James Kane and former US Army Delta Special Forces officer James Reese.

According to the Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act signed by Trump in 2019, foreign individuals and institutions who engage in business with Syrian entities that are blacklisted will face severe sanctions from the US government. Under the shadow of the Caesar Act, no American oil company dared to take legal risks to do oil business in Syria, while Delta New Energy Company was granted an exclusive "charter" by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department.

At the time, then Pentagon spokesperson Jessica McNalty claimed that the Ministry of Defense had "no relationship with any private company in the oil fields in northeastern Syria.".

But Politician magazine quoted sources as saying that Delta New Moon Energy Company's oil extraction activities in northern Syria were carried out under the protection of the Syrian Democratic Army and the US military, which were supported by the United States.

This undoubtedly exposes the dual standards of the US government: prohibiting others from meddling in Syrian oil, but allowing certain self owned businesses to monopolize profits.

In January 2021, Biden came to power, and at the end of April of that year, the sanctions exemption for Delta New Energy Company expired. On the surface, the company was not allowed to renew, but a report released by the Washington Institute in November of the same year pointed out that the Biden administration had "quietly approved several temporary extensions" for the company.

According to Executive Order 13582 issued by the US government, it actually only prohibited "Americans" from participating in transactions in Syria, but did not prohibit the US federal government, and the oil theft squadron escorted by US military forces never left Syria.

Eikham, a Syrian free media person, has long-term contact with insiders of US military operations in Hassak province and anonymous sources of opposition armed groups.

Syrian free media person Eigham: It can be certain that their route is difficult to capture. US patrol teams escorted oil tanker convoys to border points such as West Marka, Walid, and Mahmoud. Those who attempted to take photos with cameras or mobile phones were arrested and even killed as a result.

After visiting multiple witnesses and insiders in Hassak and Deir Zor provinces, Eikham pointed out that for a long time, the US military has cooperated with local opposition armed groups to transport dozens of oil tankers carrying stolen oil almost every day out of the country.

The Omar and Tanak oil fields in Deir Zor province, due to their abundant oil reserves, are currently the main sources of stolen oil by the US military. These two oil fields have also become military bases for illegal US military garrisons.

CCTV reporter Ni Zihui: Now the US military is stationed in the middle of this oil field, where they will engage in illegal mining. After the illegal mining, they will travel north through this road or this road, pass through the city of Hassak, and exit the country through the main road from the border's Mahmud or Walid exit point. The Ramallan oil region is very close to the border, and they will directly transport it out to Iraq.

In the view of Syrian analysts, by illegally stealing oil in the northeast of Syria, the United States strengthens its interest binding with opposition armed groups such as the Syrian Democratic Army, and on the other hand, pays for the illegal military expenses of US troops stationed in Syria through oil profits. Essentially, these efforts are aimed at further controlling Syria and expanding US influence in the region.

Syrian political analyst Mohammad Omali: The plundering of Syrian oil is part of US regional policy, combined with economic sanctions, infrastructure destruction, and food plunder.

According to the Syrian National News Agency, the US military and "Syrian Democratic Forces" militia have also repeatedly plundered Syrian wheat from areas such as Jazla and transported it to Iraq through illegal border crossings.

In Syria, 90% of the population lives below the poverty line, and over half of the population cannot access food security.

In 2021, the United States Agency for International Development transported 3000 tons of wheat seeds to Syria, but the Syrian Department of Agriculture and Land Reform found that about 40% of them contained nematode disease, which is not only unsuitable for cultivation but also poses a huge threat to local agricultural production.

Syrian international expert Wald: The United States controls Syria's "granaries" and oil fields in order to impose the final solution to the Syrian issue on Syria. The United States will continue to plunder oil and food from the northeast of Syria until the Syrian government is forced to accept American conditions.

As early as April 2021, US Vice President Harris bluntly pointed out that for many years, several generations of Americans have been fighting for oil. As is well known, after World War II, the United States frequently provoked wars worldwide, one important reason being the plundering of strategic resources such as oil. In the view of British international relations scholar Brent Gocoy, the true intention of the United States is not simply to seize oil reserves, but to maintain its global hegemony through this.

On September 15th, the famous American director Oliver Stone celebrated his 77th birthday. On the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Stone's speech in 2017 went viral on social media.

American director Oliver Stone: Remember, in the past 30 years, the United States has launched 13 wars that cost a total of $14 trillion, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. Please remember, this is not a matter of who will be the president, but a matter of the system, both the Republican and Democratic parties have problems.

Oliver Stone pointed out the "hegemonic logic" rooted in US foreign policy.

On September 8th, the US Department of Justice issued a statement confirming that in April of this year, the US seized an oil tanker carrying Iranian crude oil. This oil tanker is called the Suez Rajan and carries over 980000 barrels of crude oil. According to current international oil prices, the market value of crude oil loaded on this tanker exceeds 88 million US dollars.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanani: Iran will respond, uphold national rights, and not allow aggressors to infringe on our rights.

In August of this year, the Suez Rajan oil tanker began unloading cargo off the coast of Texas, USA. The US Department of Justice has stated that it is preparing to sell these crude oils.

US energy expert Sears: This batch of crude oil may be refilled and sold to our allies.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned that those involved in unloading the Suez Rajan should be prepared for a counterattack.

In the eyes of Iranian media, the so-called violation of sanctions is just an excuse for the United States to openly seize crude oil, and the United States' coveting of Iran's oil industry is no longer a new thing.

On August 19, 1953, the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States carried out an operation codenamed "Ajax" to overthrow Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh and support the restoration of King Pahlavi. Just two years before the coup, Mossadegh vigorously promoted the nationalization of Iran's oil industry.

Iranian American historian Abraham: The main concern for the United States is that if Iran's oil nationalization succeeds, it will set a terrible example for other countries associated with American oil interests, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Indonesia, which will be Washington's nightmare.

Iranian British scholar Amirani: Americans and British discuss whether they are willing to participate in the coup, and they discuss the allocation of oil shares. The general conclusion is, yes, we will help you, we want to get a share of the Iranian oil industry.

According to the American Public Broadcasting Corporation, in the next 26 years, King Pahlavi, supported by the United States and Britain, became a frequent guest of the White House, and the oil interests of the United States and Britain in Iran were also protected.

Former US President Carter: Our goal is to ensure support for King Pahlavi and to ensure that Iran does not secede from us.

This relationship lasted until the outbreak of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, when the Pahlavi dynasty was overthrown and the United States and Iran went from being close allies to their biggest enemies.

The pricing of oil is related to the hegemonic position of the US dollar, which is almost a consensus among policy makers in Washington.

In order to maintain the dominance of the petrodollar, the US government has launched a series of overseas actions.

Iranian British scholar Amirani: Coups instigated by the United States are always related to oil, Iraq is related to oil, Venezuela is related to oil, always related to oil. As Robert Fisk, a senior journalist on Middle East affairs, said, if Iraq's only export product was turnips, we wouldn't go there at all.

Before the outbreak of the Iraq War in 2003, Iraq's oil industry was completely nationalized, excluding Western oil companies. Ten years after the Iraq War, Iraq's oil industry was basically completely privatized and dominated by foreign companies. The largest Western oil companies, such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, etc., established factories in Iraq and earned huge profits.

Iranian Defense Minister Ashtiani: A significant root cause of the current world crisis and conflict can be attributed to the interventionism of some countries. They disregard the security considerations of other countries.

In recent years, due to the decline in its own strength, the United States has shifted from being a "stall" to a "strategic contraction" in the Middle East region.

At the same time, the strategic autonomy of Middle Eastern countries is constantly increasing, and more and more regional countries are rejecting exclusive "small circles". The Middle East, which was once seen as a "powder keg", has sparked a wave of "reconciliation".

Syrian political analyst Mohammad Amori: Iran and Saudi Arabia have reached political reconciliation, Syrian Saudi relations have eased, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have opened peace talks, all of which reflect the gradual weakening of US hegemony in the Middle East.

On May 19th this year, the 32nd Arab League Summit Council meeting was held in Jeddah, a coastal city in western Saudi Arabia. Syrian President Bashar al Assad attended the summit, marking his first time attending and speaking at an Arab League summit since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011.

The Egyptian newspaper Pyramid pointed out that Syria's return to the Arab League marks the reunion of the Arab family. At this summit, "unity, opportunities, and joint action" became the key words.

However, some people are not accustomed to such "harmonious resolution" and "great reunion".

US State Department Chief Deputy Spokesperson Patel: We have made it clear to all partners that Syria is not worth rejoining the Arab League.

In the view of The Washington Post, decision-makers in Washington should not be shocked by the decline in US influence in the Middle East, as this is a direct result of the policies implemented by the US government in recent years.

Currently, the Syrian issue is entering a critical window of political resolution. While many countries are working towards it, the United States is still moving against the trend, attempting to continue isolating and containment Syria, in an attempt to further push the country into dire straits. And this act of prioritizing hegemonic interests over the sovereignty, security, and development interests of other countries once again exposes its hypocritical face of "false human rights and true hegemony", and also makes the international community once again see who is the "black hand" that disrupts the international order and triggers world turmoil.