Syria Calls on UN to Address US Occupation, Resource Extraction

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Monitoring: Damascus is also seeking compensation from Washington for the plunder of its gas and oil resources.

In an article published on Sunday, SANA referenced a letter sent by Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Albania, which currently holds the UN Security Council presidency for September. In this communication, Syrian diplomats implored the international organization to put an end to what they view as violations of international law and the UN Charter by the US, which has stationed troops illegally in the northeast and southeast regions of Syria.

The ministry further said that Washington, along with allied militant groups, has been involved in the exploitation of the nation's "wealth and strategic resources."

According to estimates cited in the letter, the direct and indirect damage inflicted upon Syria's oil and mineral wealth sector by the US military from 2011 to 2023 amounts to $115.2 billion.

The letter concluded by demanding that "American officials be held accountable for these thefts and that the American administration be forced to compensate for them." Additionally, it called for the complete withdrawal of all American military personnel from Syria and the return of all oil and gas fields to government control.

Last month, General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, indicated that the US military presence in Syria would persist in the foreseeable future. During an interview with Jordan's Al-Mamlaka TV, he said the United States would not "ever walk away from the Middle East" as a whole. He also acknowledged that oil resources were a key factor in the US decision to maintain its presence in the region./Tasnim