Syria: US Troops Will Strike Any Force Challenging Occupation

U.S. mechanized forces have begun deploying at Syrian oil fields, ostensibly to stop the remnants of Islamic State from seizing them, and will respond with “overwhelming force” to protect them, Reuters informed.

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After their withdrawal from northern Syria earlier this month, and the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Saturday night, North American forces in the Persian nation have a new mission: protect the oil.

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said at a press conference that the mission, on its surface, aims to keep these oil fields in the hands of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Washington’s former allies in the fight against IS.

The North American troops, he said, will “respond with overwhelming military force against any group who threatens the safety of our forces there.” When asked whether the army would potentially respond with force against Russian or Syrian forces, Esper simply answered affirmatively.

Esper´s declarations add more wood to the fire, after Igor Konashénkov, spokesman of Russian Ministry of Defense, called the U.S. oilfield operation “state-sponsored banditry,” and accused Washington of leaving its forces there to help oil smugglers pillage Syria’s national resources. The ministry published aerial images on Saturday, that it claims show crude oil being smuggled out of the country “under the strong protection of the US.”

Reuters informed that despite all the noise has been made about protecting the oil fields from the remnants of IS, the shattered jihadist group has not made any moves towards seizing them.

President Trump had previously promised to bring all of the 1,000 or so US troops in Syria home, after the withdrawal from the country’s north. However, some will be moved to Iraq, while more will now remain behind at the oil fields. It is still unclear how many troops will stay in Syria.