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<div class="gmail-inner-article-top"><h1 class="gmail-">US forces loot more Syrian oil </h1><p class="gmail-">The oil theft and smuggling operation comes two days after a brutal US attack on Syria and Iraq
</p><div class="gmail-another-name"><p><a href="https://thecradle.co/authors/news-desk-9" style="color:rgb(164,4,4)">News Desk</a></p></div><div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px"><p><span>FEB 4, 2024 -<font size="1"> </font></span><font size="1"><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/us-forces-loot-more-syrian-oil">https://thecradle.co/articles/us-forces-loot-more-syrian-oil</a></font></p></div></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img src="http://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles/bef544b2-c364-11ee-b044-00163e02c055.jpeg" alt="" width="416" height="234" style="margin-right: 0px;"><span>(Photo credit: X)</span></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-content"><div class="gmail-row"><div class="gmail-col-md-8 gmail-col-sm-7"><div class="gmail-article-content"><span><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">US occupation troops in Syria's northeastern Jazira region </span><a href="https://sana.sy/?p=2039791"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">looted</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">
60 tankers of crude oil and transported it through an illegal border
crossing into its military bases in Iraq, Syrian state media reported on
4 February. </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">“The American
occupation continued its plundering of Syrian oil wealth, transferring
it from the areas it occupies in the Hasakah countryside to its bases in
Iraqi territory through illegal crossings,” SANA news outlet reported. </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Local
sources in the Yarubiyah countryside told SANA’s correspondent that “an
American occupation convoy of 60 tankers loaded with stolen Syrian oil
left Syrian territory, accompanied by an escort from the occupation
forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia, through the
illegal Mahmoudiyah crossing towards the occupation bases in northern
Iraq.” </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">US troops in Syria have continued to </span><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/2345"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">systematically</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> loot the country’s natural resources, including oil, wheat, and barley – transferring the plundered goods to Iraq illegally. </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">An in-depth investigation by </span><i><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">The Cradle</span></i><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">
in 2022 details the process of the oil smuggling operation by US forces
and the use of several illegal border crossings that lead to the Iraqi
Kurdistan region.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">According to
the exclusive, there are usually no less than 70 to 100 tankers
transporting Syrian oil during each journey. The Syrian oil ministry has
incurred billions-worth of losses as a result. </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">The Kurdish SDF, which faces an ongoing </span><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/18364"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">tribal rebellion</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> that began in its areas of control in August last year, helps Washington oversee the occupation of Syrian oilfields.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Sunday’s looting operation follows Washington’s </span><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/us-carries-out-major-bombing-in-iraq-syria"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">brutal attacks</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">
on Syria and Iraq two days earlier. The airstrikes came in response to
Iraqi resistance attacks on US bases in both countries, particularly one
on US military outpost Tower 22 on the Jordanian side of the border
with Syria, which killed three US soldiers. </span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">The
US air force carried out strikes on 85 sites in the border regions
connecting Iraq and Syria early on 3 February, killing several.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">US
Central Command stated its forces struck targets "belonging to the
Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its allies, in Iraq and Syria" using
"long-range bombers launched from the United States."</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">US and British fighter jets launched yet another</span><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/new-wave-of-us-uk-strikes-target-yemen"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> joint assault</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">
on Yemen the following day, 4 February, in response to pro-Palestine
naval operations carried out by the Ansarallah movement and the Armed
Forces of the Yemeni government in Sanaa.</span></p></span></div></div></div></div>
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