US should stop plundering Syria’s national resources

By Zhang Xuanhao

A Syrian farmer harvests wheat. (Photo/VCG)

At the press conference on July 3, responding to the question about US troops in Syria smuggling out local wheat crops, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the US should “stop plundering Syria’s resources and take concrete measures to repair the damage done to the Syrian people.” Syria has been devastated by wars, epidemics and various humanitarian crises for 13 years. It is the wanton instigation of proxy wars and the deliberate escalation of regional armed conflicts by US hegemony that perpetuates the ongoing conflicts.

The right to life of the Syrian people is being mercilessly violated by the United States. “We have always been self-sufficient. I really don’t know why we have come to this point where even a piece of bread becomes a dream,” said a candy seller in Damascus, adding that he had never seen poverty on such a scale before. According to a report by the World Food Programme (WFP), about 12.9 million people are food insecure in Syria, 2.6 million of whom are hungry, and child hunger is very common. Therefore, Syria urgently needs food aid from the international community. In this context, however, the US military has long been imposing illegal unilateral sanctions on Syria, aggravating the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. The UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan, said she was “struck by the pervasiveness of the human rights and humanitarian impact of the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Syria.” At a time when Syria is moving towards reconciliation through its efforts to return to the Arab League and the Middle East, the United States persists in extending its illegal unilateral sanctions against Syria under the pretext of “protecting human rights,” which reveals nothing but the United States’ reluctance to let go of its “hegemonic hand” and the predominance of its hegemonic interests over the humanitarian crisis of other countries.

US banditry is aggravating the energy crisis in Syria. Before the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, Syria’s annual wheat production was about 6 million tons, and it has now dropped to 500,000 tons. Illegitimate US troops in Syria are carrying out illegal wheat smuggling activity in the country, smuggling local wheat crops out of Syria, using more than ten trucks every day. In addition to food resources, the US military and the illegitimate armed forces it supports are also stealing a large amount of Syrian oil and gas resources. Ferhat Abdullah, Syria’s Deputy Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources, said that more than 80% of Syria’s daily oil production is seized by the US military, resulting in direct and indirect losses of about $120 billion to Syria. “Syria used to be self-sufficient in oil and supplied petroleum products to neighboring countries, but now there is a shortage of oil. Many Syrians are cold during winter nights due to the lack of fuel and gas.” Muhammad Hasanein Khaddam, Syria’s ambassador to China, said in a recent interview: “The United States, as the richest country in the world, continues to steal our country’s resources, but the Western media has not said a word about it in the past seven years.”

The future of Syria must be in the hands of the Syrian people. Syria used to be a wheat-exporting country, but about 55 percent of its population is now facing food insecurity, for which the United States bears an inescapable responsibility. Facts have proven that the United States has in mind the calculation of plundering resources under the guise of fighting terrorism, that it violates the livelihood and life rights of people in other countries under the guise of human rights, and that it continues to create humanitarian crises under the pretext of safeguarding democracy, freedom and prosperity.

Thirteen years after the start of the Syrian civil war, the ravaged Syria can no longer withstand the relentless plundering of the US. The US must put aside its geopolitical calculations and selfish interests to maintain its hegemony, immediately lift all illegal unilateral sanctions against Syria, immediately end its illegitimate military presence and plundering in Syria, put an end to the man-made humanitarian disasters, strictly abide by the principles of the UN Charter and the norms of international law, and earnestly respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of other countries, so as to restore the Syrian people’s true human rights, wealth, freedom and dignity.

Editor’s Note:Originally published on haiwainet.cn, this article was translated from Chinese to English and edited by China Military Online. The information and opinions contained in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.