Syria, U.S. troops are about much more than oil
Locals hope for stability, prosperity
BEIRUT — As U.S. troops beef up in eastern Syria to protect oil fields, residents hope their mission will bring stability and prosperity to the remote and resource-rich region — and keep the Syrian government out.
Their hopes reflect the expectations being piled onto the operation, even as President Donald Trump solidified the scope and duration of troops deployment. He initially ordered all troops out of Syria last month, then decided to keep a force in place to hold the oil infrastructure.
That keeps the U.S. troops in the middle of eastern Syria’s complex political geography, rich in oil and gas and with Turkish, Kurdish, Russian, Syrian and Iranian-backed troops.
The stretches of Syria east of the Euphrates, where the oil is located, have been lost to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad for most of the country’s eight-year civil war.
Its mostly Arab population is opposed to Assad, angry with years of neglect that impoverished the area despite its resource wealth. Since U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces drove out the Islamic State group, it has been governed by a Kurdish-led administration.
So when Turkey invaded northeastern Syria last month, hundreds held protests in towns and villages in the east — not against Ankara but against the Syrian government and its Iranian allies. They feared the invasion would empower Damascus to send troops to their areas and restore control.
Residents welcomed Trump’s latest decision, believing it a shield that would bring investments and an economic boom.
“Deir el-Zour lives on a sea of oil,” said Shehab, a 20-year-old who works as a herder and farmer. “We are optimistic that if the U.S. takes over the fields, they will bring in (new) companies and expertise,” Shehab said. “The unemployed will find jobs.”