“The Number of US Soldiers Remains ‘Unchanged’ in Syria”
The number of US troops in Syria remains “stable and unchanged” even after the announcement of US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal.
An American official, in statements offered Monday to the French news agency AFP on condition of anonymity, said the US Department of Defense. (the Pentagon) has deployed its military in the province of Deir Ezzor, in eastern Syria.
“Trump’s decision to protect the oil fields in Deir Ezzor has forced the Pentagon to send forces to that area at a time when US soldiers were moving away from areas near the Syrian-Turkish border,” he added.
The official said that while US troops had begun arriving at Deir Ezzor, another group of soldiers were sent to northern Syria to help ensure the withdrawal of troops from that area. Meanwhile, a number of the military were transferred from Syria to northern Iraq.
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“But, in general, the number of US troops in Syria is similar to that before the announcement of the (US) exit of Syria in early October,” said the official who counted the number of US soldiers who they were in the Arab territory in “less than 1000” people.
In recent months, the United States has repeatedly announced a withdrawal of its military forces from Syria. The last constant entrances and exits of the US forces occur after the Pentagon ordered on October 12, the withdrawal of 1000 troops from northern Syria.
On October 20, US troops left their largest military base near the city of Ain Al-Arab – also known as Kobani – in the northern province of Aleppo.
The withdrawal came after Trump’s surprise announcement on October 6 of the departure of US forces from northern Syria in the face of Turkey’s aggression in northern Syria.
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However shortly after, Washington decided to deploy soldiers, with logistic and military equipment, in northeastern Syria, under the pretext of what it called “protecting” the oil fields of the Arab country.
On October 25, the Republican tycoon said: “We have secured the oil, so there will be a few men left in the oil zone.” Three days later, he went further and said the oil belonged to Washington.
For decades, the US has set its sights on the rich oil fields of the Middle East, and to achieve its goal it has launched wars using various allegations. The Russian Ministry of Defense revealed on October 26, via satellite images, the involvement of the United States in the smuggling of oil from Syria and indicated that this transfer means an income of 30 million dollars a month for Washington.
Syria has suffered an armed conflict since 2011 that led to terrorist groups and sponsored armed gangs, according to Damascus, by Saudi Arabia, the United States, and some European countries. Experts estimate that Syrian oil production has now dropped from 400,000 barrels per day to about 80,000.
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Featured image: A convoy of US military vehicles Arrives from northern Iraq to Deir Ezzor in Syria, October 26, 2019. (Photo: AFP)
Translated by JRE/EF
