Trump’s view
Trump said: “What I intend to do, perhaps, is make a deal with an ExxonMobil or one of our great companies to go in there and do it properly…and spread out the wealth.”
Trump has identified Syrian oil as a US national security priority. Trumps has committed US troops to protecting the country reserves outside government control even as he has pulled troops out of the border area with Turkey the so-called safe zone.
A recent article notes : “The United States will send armored vehicles and combat troops into eastern Syria to keep oil fields from potentially falling into the hands of Islamic State militants, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said.”
Trump also said the troops will be there to protect Syrian oil fields from Islamic State militants. However, it now seems that Trump wants to control development of the oil resources as well as taking some for its own use.
Trump said on Sunday after announcing the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US military raid in Syria: “The oil is so valuable, for many reasons.It fueled ISIS, number one. Number two, it helps the Kurds – because it’s basically been taken away from the Kurds… And, number three, it can help us, because we should be able to take some also.”
There is no description of what exact power the Kurds have over developments or if there was any consultation with them. Of course there is no thought whatsoever that the Assad government might have some access to its own oil resources.
Senator Lindsey Graham defends President Trump
At a press conference following Trump’s remarks a reporter asked Graham what legal right in international law allowed the US to take Syrian oil. Graham replied: “This was the chief source of revenue for a long time for ISIS,” Graham said. “It is now in the hands of Syrian Democratic Forces, which are Arabic Kurds, mostly Kurds, with the partnership with the United States. So, no this doesn’t violate any law. In my view, what it does is just good common sense foreign policy. This is a win-win..The SDF will get more money if we can modernize the oil fields.”
Trump’s former Secretary of State was Rex Tillerson, chairman and CEO of Exxon. No doubt the US takes the position that since the US controls the oil fields it can do whatever it wants with them and is not controlled with national law.
Trump believes those being protected by the US should pay
Trump has always been concerned that the US is not properly recompensed by those who allegedly depend upon US protection. He recently made this clear with respect to sending troops and equipment to Saudi Arabia: “US President Donald Trump told reporters that Saudi Arabia, at his request, will pay for the deployment of additional American soldiers in the wealthy Arab kingdom after a 14 September attack on the country’s oil facilities.”
Perhaps Trump is applying the same reasoning to its protection of the oil fields in Syria. Some of the oil will be expropriated by the US to pay for its expenses in defending the walls from ISIS and no doubt the Assad government as well.
