Democratic presidential candidate and congressman Tulsi Gabbard has criticized the policies of the American leader Donald Trump to seize the oil fields of Syria, which rightfully “belong to the Syrian people and they need them to have the opportunity to exist”.
“Let’s start with the most important: why our troops remain in Syria. The task of our soldiers is to ensure national security and protect the Americans”, – she told Fox News.
Gabbard noted that, unfortunately, Trump “have changed this course”, despite the fact that he planned to return the military home, but virtually he left them there not in order to fight Al Qaeda* or ISIS**, but to protect the oil fields, “which do not belong to the United States”.
“These are energy resources that belong to the Syrian people. And this is a disgrace to our military”, – the politician said, noting that such a seizure deprives the Syrians of the main resource that they need not only for survival, but also for building their own lives.
Earlier, Trump commented on the presence of the US military in villages near oil fields in northeast Syria. According to Pentagon chief Mark Esper, the US troops will continue to defend oil fields in Syria and respond to any attempts by other parties to take control of them.
At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the US government agencies earn over $ 30 million a month from the production of contraband oil in Syria.
In turn, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized that maintaining the US military presence in Syria to “protect oil fields” is contrary to international law.
*Al-Qaeda – an organization recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 02.14.2003.
**Islamic State (ISIS) – the organization was recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.