Putin’s propagandists are attacking President Trump’s plan to develop eastern Syrian oil fields.
That plan, with U.S. military protection, serves our national security and economic interests. Offering economic development it would allow the Sunni tribes of eastern Syria to protect themselves from Iranian and ISIS encroachment. It would also provide much-needed revenue to the Kurdish YPG-aligned forces who have given more than 10,000 of their brothers and sisters to the fight against ISIS. It would provide some lawful economic benefit to America, via U.S. companies bound to the rule of law by their contracts with local interests.
But the Russians are very upset about this. Writing for Grayzone, which has suspicious links to Putin and defers to communist China, Ben Norton this week railed against the oil project. It’s imperialism, he says.
Norton’s argument is one of deep anger and obvious hypocrisy.
After all, the Russians have long sought to steal eastern Syria’s oil for their own interests. And if they get the chance, they’ll do so without any regard for those who live above the oil. As in February 2018, it is also likely we will have to kill more GRU operatives to protect this project. But before taking such drastic action, the Russians want to convince Trump and enough others that this project is not actually the great idea it is, but rather a terrible idea defined by imperialism. Hence why Grayzone and other Putin propagandists are focusing such ire on the project.
It’s safe to say the United States should reject them. The propagandists focus speaks to something: Russia sees Trump’s plan as a very bad idea.
