US military envisions broad defense of Syrian oilfields

The United States will repel any attempt to take Syria’s oil fields away from US-backed Syrian militia with “overwhelming force,” whether the opponent is Daesh or even forces backed by Russia or Syria, the Pentagon said on Monday, Reuters reports.

The US military announced last week it was reinforcing its position in Syria with additional assets, including mechanized forces, to prevent oilfields from being taken over by remnants of the Daesh militant group or others.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper offered some of his most detailed remarks to date about the mission at a news briefing on Monday.

“US troops will remain positioned in this strategic area to deny Daesh access those vital resources. And we will respond with overwhelming military force against any group that threatens the safety of our forces there,” Esper told reporters at the Pentagon.

Pressed on whether the US military mission included denying any Russian or Syrian government forces access to the oilfields, Esper said: “The short answer is, yes, it presently does.”

READ: US forces return to north Syria after withdrawal

He noted that the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, relied on that oil income to fund its fighters, including the ones guarding prisons that hold captured Daesh fighters.

“We want to make sure that SDF does have access to resources in order to guard the prisons, in order to arm their own troops, in order to assist us with the defeat-Daesh mission,” he said, using an acronym for Daesh.

So that’s our mission, is to secure the oilfields.

President Donald Trump has softened his pullout plans for Syria after a backlash from Congress, including among key Republicans who say he cleared the way for a long-threatened Turkish incursion against the SDF, which had been America’s top ally in the battle against Daesh.

Amid concerns that Daesh could stage a resurgence in the ensuing power vacuum, Trump said last week a small number of US troops would remain in the area of Syria “where they have the oil,” a reference to oilfields in the Kurdish-controlled region.

That plan for Syria appears unaltered by the US raid on Saturday that led to the death of Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

READ: Syrian government welcomes SDF withdrawal from border