The US military is addicted to theft and looting in Syria, stealing food and oil from Syria | US military | addiction
Syrian news agency reported on the 2nd that the US military transported a large amount of "stolen" wheat bran to a US military base in northern Iraq in northeastern Syria on the same day.
In recent years, the US military and its supported armed forces have continued to plunder Syrian national resources such as oil and wheat. The US has also brutally imposed economic sanctions on Syria, and various heinous actions have caused huge harm to the lives of the Syrian people.
US military addicted to oil theft
The Syrian news agency reported, citing local sources, that on the 2nd, the US military transported wheat bran seized and collected by local armed forces through illegal crossing points to a US military base in northern Iraq through a convoy of 45 trucks. Several vehicles in the convoy were also carrying oil stolen from northeastern Syria. In recent years, official Syrian media have repeatedly reported that the US military has illegally extracted resources from northeastern Syria and transported them to US military bases in Iraq.
This is a photo taken on May 28th of children in a refugee camp in Hassaq province, Syria. Shen Jizhong
The Syrian crisis broke out in 2011. Since 2014, the United States has deployed troops in the eastern and northeastern regions of Syria. At present, many areas in northeastern Syria are controlled by the Syrian Democratic Army. The organization is mainly led by the Syrian Kurdish armed People's Protection Force and is supported by the United States.
The northeast region is a major oil producing region and an important granary in Syria. According to a statement released by the Syrian Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources, Syria's daily oil production in the first half of 2022 was approximately 80300 barrels, of which approximately 66000 barrels were illegally extracted by the US military and its supported armed forces from occupied oil fields in the eastern region.
Abdul Hamid Karakul, Chairman of the Farmers' Union in Hassak Province, northern Syria, told reporters that 60-70% of Syria's grain production is concentrated in Hassak Province. Under the influence of the US military, food trade between the local and government controlled areas has been hindered.
On July 13th, farmers harvested wheat in farmland in Damascus, Syria. Shen Jizhong
In the view of Syrian political expert Mohammad Omali, plundering natural resources such as oil is one of the ugliest human rights violations committed by the United States in Syria.
The Syrian people are deeply affected by it
At the end of 2022, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations and the President of the United Nations Security Council, stating that the US military and its supported armed forces have caused direct losses to Syria of $25.9 billion, including $19.8 billion in stolen oil, natural gas, and mineral losses. In addition, the indirect losses caused by reduced production in the oil, gas, and mineral sectors exceeded 86 billion US dollars.
Syria used to be a food exporting country, but due to years of war, it faced a food shortage and needed imports to meet domestic demand. In the past two years, the food shortage problem has intensified due to multiple factors. According to the World Food Programme, approximately 12.4 million people in Syria will not be able to access food security in 2022, the worst situation on record. However, in this situation, according to local media reports, the US military has shamelessly stolen or burned Syrian wheat multiple times.
The plunder of energy and food by the United States affects every ordinary Syrian. Moreover, for a long time, the United States has imposed severe economic sanctions on Syria and continuously intensified them, making the lives of the Syrian people even worse.
Affected by sanctions, the reconstruction process of Syria has been repeatedly hindered, local enterprises and businesses have suffered frequent setbacks in production and operation activities, foreign investor projects have been stranded, material supply is scarce, the Syrian currency is rapidly depreciating, and prices are soaring.
On February 17th, in Aleppo, Syria, people were moving items among the ruins after the earthquake. Shen Jizhong
After the earthquake in Syria in February this year, many countries immediately extended a helping hand, while the United States insisted on sanctions and only announced the temporary lifting of the earthquake rescue part of the sanctions against Syria under international public pressure. However, at that time, the 72 hour golden rescue period had passed.
Omali believes that the economic sanctions imposed by the United States on Syria have weakened the ability of Syrian public institutions to provide basic services such as water and electricity, hindering the Syrian people from obtaining basic living security.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that economic sanctions have had a "catastrophic impact" on the daily lives of Syrian residents, preventing them from accessing sufficient basic services, fuel, natural gas, and electricity.
