Standoff: U.S. troops block Russian forces from capturing Syrian oil field

https://www.washingtontimes.com ^ | January 21, 2020 | Ben Wolfgang

[Enterprise]

U.S. troops last weekend reportedly found themselves in a standoff with Russian forces trying to gain access to key oil fields in northeastern Syria.

The Saturday standoff — first reported by Turkish media outlets, citing unnamed local officials in the Turkey-Syria border region — seems to have ended without any shots being fired or any real risk of violence between the two sides. American military personnel reportedly stopped a Russian convoy near the town of Rmelan, and the Russian forces then apparently turned back and returned to their home base.

Still, the near-clash serves as a reminder of the high stakes in Syria, where the U.S. military’s mission involves guarding oil fields and preventing them from falling into the hands of the Islamic State, Russian forces and other actors.

[Enterprise]

Nope. Didn't happen. The left insists that President Trump is in Putin's pocket.

[DoughtyOne]

Yeah, don’t you just hate false reporting like this. Smile...

[Brilliant]

We need to get out of Syria.

[joelt]

No shots fired because the Russians remember what happened last time. Feb or Mar 2017. A fair number of them got wiped out.

[1Old Pro]

the Russian forces then apparently turned back and returned to their home base.

Obama would have given them the key to the city.

[silverleaf]

Apparently we are occupying Syrias oilfields under the guise of protecting them

This is a morally unsustainable mission, imo

[InsidiousMongo]

What? I must read about this!

[toast]

I remember it, but could also use a refresher.
It would probably be a little more accurate since the fog of war should have cleared by now.

[HighSierra5]

Let’s see. The Rats don’t want war but they hate the Ruskies. What’s a President to do?

[Enterprise]

The truth about the brutal four-hour battle between Russian mercenaries and US commandos in Syria

[Zhang Fei]

[Apparently we are occupying Syrias oilfields under the guise of protecting them

This is a morally unsustainable mission, imo]

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It’s not morality that’s allowing a 10% religious minority (Syria’s ruling Alawites) to impose its will on the 70% Sunni Arab majority. It’s superior firepower. Since the Iranians and Russians have seen fit to keep their minority faction in power in order to advance their regional interests, it’s certainly not immoral for us to keep our minority faction independent of Iran’s and Russia’s client. Especially since the Assad family has sponsored a good number of terrorists who killed large numbers of Americans, starting with the Palestinians and ending with the Syrians he sent to Iraq to kill GI’s, who then attacked his regime when they returned to Syria.

[Enterprise]

"What’s a President to do?"

Offer a profit sharing agreement with Syria and Russia, and have the United States operate the oil fields.

[Skooz]

I remember something about a group of Russian mercenaries getting to close to (I think) a Marine stronghold of some sort.

After due warning, the mercs were served up a can of Apaches, F15s, an AC-130 (I think) and a lot of other US weaponry.

It got ugly real fast.

[Enterprise]

Bump!!

[Vermont Lt]

And both armies probably said, “Sucks to be in Syria.”

[Socon-Econ]

Who is getting the revenue from the oil fields that we are occupying, and why? Unless we are putting that revenue in trust, the ones receiving that revenue are the ones we are supporting.

[Enterprise]

Air power. Don’t even THINK of messing with American troops without it!

[Zhang Fei]

[Let’s see. The Rats don’t want war but they hate the Ruskies. What’s a President to do?]

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The Rats love the Russkies. That’s why they hate everything Trump has done in relation to keeping America strong against the Russkies, ranging from exiting nuclear arms treaties to modernizing the nuclear force. What they don’t like is that under Putin, the Russkies had disinformation efforts helping both Democrats and Republicans - previously, the Russians only helped the Democrats, with a number of American journalists on the Soviet payroll.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2009/05/i-f-stone-and-lefts-cultural-amnesia-mark-hemingway/

[Zhang Fei]

[Who is getting the revenue from the oil fields that we are occupying, and why? Unless we are putting that revenue in trust, the ones receiving that revenue are the ones we are supporting.]

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Trust? The Syrian Kurds running that territory are like any government - it’s got bills to pay. The money is going straight to them. How do you think they get the money to conduct training, feed their men, buy ammo and equipment, in the middle of a war zone where economic activity has been drastically curtailed and trade links under constant attack?

[PIF]

The Russians now have brought in their advanced jammers so the tactic used before will not work a second time. All communications and GPS will be jammed. Last time it was Russian mercs, this time it is real Russian soldiers. Not the same.