WSJ: U.S.’s Syria Ally Supplies Oil to Assad’s Brokers

ARK News: America’s military ally in Syria has become an important supplier of crude oil to the President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, showing the gaps in efforts by Washington to put economic pressure on a government it opposes.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, is delivering oil to al-Qatirji Group, a Syrian broker targeted by U.S. and European sanctions for supplying fuel to Mr Assad’s

The Newspaper reported that this oil comes from areas in the east of the country controlled by the "democratic forces of Syria" (intentionally) with the support of the international coalition led by the United States Where the two people familiar with this trade movement confirmed that one tanker left almost every day in the oil-rich region loaded with crude fuel sold by SDF to al-Qatirji group to be transferred later to the refineries of the Syrian regime.

The newspaper accused this group of organizing the supply of oil to the Assad regime from these areas when they were in the hands of the ISIS organization.

The driver and Syrian activists told the newspaper that the oil smugglers who had already dealt with ISIS, after the seizure of SDF on oil fields in the east of the country changed their loyalty and began to work for YPG militants.

The Newspaper quoted from those activists, affirming that they want to pour the gains from the oil trade in the interests of the territory under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
The driver explained that the supply of oil from the region resumed seven months ago, which transports crude from the fuel al-Jafra field in the countryside of Deir al-Zour to a refinery of the regime in the province of Homs. The driver pointed out that the "Syrian Democratic Forces" soldiers were accompanying oil tankers as they crossed into the areas under their control until they were handed over to representatives of the Qatirji group in an area controlled by the Syrian regime.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, the US Treasury and the Qatirji Group refused to answer the newspaper's questions on the issue.

The Wall Street Journal that this hidden trade poses a new challenge to Washington's efforts to cut oil supplies from the Syrian regime, saying it shows the dilemma faced by Syrian Democratic Forces against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump about his intention to withdraw US forces from Syria.

A former US official told the Newspaper that the Trump administration sees this trade as a vital pillar for Syria and is concerned that the cut-off of oil supplies could undermine the fragile economy in the country.

Source: WSJ

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