{"id":65388,"date":"2019-10-27T20:05:07","date_gmt":"2019-10-27T20:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/27\/russia-calls-us-move-to-protect-syrian-oil-banditry\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:37:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:37:58","slug":"russia-calls-us-move-to-protect-syrian-oil-banditry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/27\/russia-calls-us-move-to-protect-syrian-oil-banditry\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia calls US move to protect Syrian oil \u2018banditry\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MOSCOW \u2014 Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry on Saturday harshly criticized the United States decision to send armored vehicles and combat troops into eastern Syria <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/25\/us-to-send-mechanized-forces-to-secure-syrian-oil-fields\/\" target=_blank>to protect oil fields<\/a>, calling it \u201cbanditry.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. Defense Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/10\/24\/uss-esper-has-sharp-words-for-turkey-over-syria-invasion\/\" target=_blank>Mark Esper<\/a> has said the move is aimed at keeping the fields from potentially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/21\/some-american-troops-may-stay-in-syria-to-guard-oil-fields-esper-says\/\" target=_blank>falling into the hands of Islamic State militants<\/a>. The decision was the latest sign that extracting the U.S. military from Syria is more uncertain and complicated than President Donald Trump has made it out to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Saturday, there were several troop movements in Syria as the various players adjusted to the U.S. decision to withdraw troops from the northeast. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/22\/us-military-struggles-to-find-a-strategy-amid-sudden-policy-changes-in-centcom-region\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"192\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1177221337.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US military struggles to find a strategy amid sudden policy changes in CENTCOM region<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The future of the five-year fight against Islamic State militants is unclear, along with the entire strategy underpinning the U.S. troop presence in the U.S. Central Command region.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A U.S. convoy of over a dozen vehicles was spotted driving south of the northeastern city of Qamishli, likely heading to the oil-rich Deir el-Zour area where there are oil fields, or possibly to another base nearby. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor also reported the convoy, saying it arrived earlier from Iraq. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A large convoy of Syrian government troops was also spotted heading toward the M4 highway. The Syrian state news agency SANA said troops have entered the region of Ras al-Ayn, deploying to eight villages along the highway and up near the Syrian-Turkish border. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Observatory called Saturday\u2019s deployment of Syrian forces the largest in the area in nearly seven years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"6000\" height=\"4000\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299519697757.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Syrian government forces\" class=\"wp-image-101125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299519697757.jpg.jpg 6000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299519697757.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299519697757.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299519697757.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299519697757.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299519697757.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 6000px) 100vw, 6000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Syrian government forces reinforcements arrive near the city of Ras al-Ayn, in the north of Syria, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. (AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/24\/syrias-assad-gets-a-prize-with-american-troop-withdrawal-turkey-russia-deal\/\" target=_blank>Syrian government troops<\/a> had not set foot in northeastern Syria since 2012, when the government pulled out to focus on the war elsewhere in Syria. The Kurdish forces took control of the area and allied with the U.S. to fight Islamic State militants who swarmed the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after Trump ordered his forces to withdraw from Kurdish-held areas, allowing for a Turkish offensive launched on Oct. 9, Syrian Kurdish forces turned to Russia and Damascus for protection. The government deployment began in mid-October. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A separate deal between Turkey and Russia accelerated Syrian government deployment as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/23\/russian-forces-deploy-at-syrian-border-under-new-accord-with-turkey\/\" target=_blank>joint Russian-Syrian patrols <\/a>are part of the new border arrangements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5472\" height=\"3648\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299638866869.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"U.S. military convoy\" class=\"wp-image-30370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299638866869.jpg.jpg 5472w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299638866869.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299638866869.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299638866869.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299638866869.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19299638866869.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5472px) 100vw, 5472px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. military convoy drives the he town of Qamishli, north Syria, by a poster showing Syrain President Bashar Aassad Saturday, Oct. 26. 2019. A U.S. convoy of over a dozen vehicles was spotted driving south of the northeastern city of Qamishli, likely heading to the oil-rich Deir el-Zour area where there are oil fields, or possibly to another base nearby. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, also reported the convoy, saying it arrived earlier from Iraq. (Baderkhan Ahmad\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Russia was critical that Washington will continue to keep troops in Syria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said \u201cwhat Washington is doing now, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/10\/25\/after-american-troop-withdrawal-trump-shifts-focus-to-syria-oil-fields\/\" target=_blank>the seizure and control of oil fields<\/a> in eastern Syria under its armed control, is, quite simply, international state banditry.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll hydrocarbon deposits and other minerals located on the territory of Syria do not belong to the IS terrorists, and even less to the \u2018American defenders from IS terrorists,\u2019 but exclusively to the Syrian Arab Republic,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe real cause of this illegal action by the United States in Syria lies far from the ideals that Washington has proclaimed and from the slogans of fighting terrorism,\u201d Konashenkov said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After ordering his troops home, Trump said he will leave up to 300 troops in southern Syria before Esper announced that another residual force was being considered in southeastern Syria to protect oil fields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke by telephone Saturday about Syria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom the Russian side, the necessity was emphasized of refraining from steps undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that county,\u201d the ministry said in a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report. <\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry on Saturday harshly criticized the United States decision to send armored vehicles and combat troops into eastern Syria to protect oil fields, calling it \u201cbanditry.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":101123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,23,89,12,26,62],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2953],"class_list":["post-65388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"GGZQXRCKAZCCDJRKHJTNNYPENA","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/27\/russia-calls-us-move-to-protect-syrian-oil-banditry\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Russia calls US move to protect Syrian oil \u2018banditry\u2019 - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry on Saturday harshly criticized the United States decision to send armored vehicles and combat troops into eastern Syria to protect oil fields, calling it \u201cbanditry.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Russia calls US move to protect Syrian oil \u2018banditry\u2019\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry on Saturday harshly criticized the United States decision to send armored 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