https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-occupation-loots-most-of-syrias-oil:-ministry

US occupation loots most of Syria’s oil: Ministry

The Syrian Oil Ministry revealed that the US occupation loots the majority of Syria's oil, knowing that the daily production of the eastern oil fields is 80.3 thousand barrels."

During a meeting held to discuss its work plans and the work of its subsidiaries during the first half of this year, the Syrian Ministry of Oil stated that "the amount of oil production during the first half of this year amounted to about 14.5 million barrels, with an average daily production of 80.3 thousand barrels."

The Ministry added that the barrels are delivered to refineries at a rate of 14.2 thousand barrels per day, stressing that the US occupation forces and their mercenaries steal up to 66,000 barrels per day from fields in areas in the eastern region that they occupy.

"Around 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas were produced, with a daily production rate of 11.3 million cubic meters, of which 11.1 million cubic meters is renewable natural gas," it stated.

The Ministry detailed that "82% of the gas produced is delivered to the Ministry of Electricity, 3% to the Ministry of Industry, and 15% to the Ministry of Oil."

It is worth noting that the daily average quantity delivered to the Ministry of Electricity is 8.6 million cubic meters, as per the Ministry.

The Ministry went on to say that three gas wells were introduced into production, not to mention that the total domestic gas production has reached 42 thousand tons or 234 tons per day.

About 1.990 million tons were refined in the Homs and Baniyas refineries and about 537 million tons were on the surplus capacity refining contract, according to the Ministry.

During the first half of this year, refineries produced 355 thousand tons of premium gasoline, 545 million tons of diesel, and 960,000 tons of fuel, while the percentage of domestic gas implementation did not exceed 40% of the supply plan.

The Ministry unmasked that the oil and mineral resources sector incurred losses in its cadres during the war on Syria, as 235 were killed, 46 were wounded, and 112 were kidnapped.

The total direct and indirect losses amounted to about 105 billion dollars from the beginning of the war until the middle of this year, the Ministry concluded.

What is the US doing in Syria?

Besides being an occupation force that backs armed groups for its own operations and agenda in the region, the US occupation forces continue to steal Syrian oil by smuggling it from their bases in Syria to their bases in Iraq.

Convoys of tens of vehicles, including tankers loaded with stolen oil from oil fields occupied by US forces in Syria, are frequently seen crossing toward northern Iraq, in addition to trucks loaded with military equipment.

The US meddling in the crisis-stricken Middle Eastern country continues to be exposed, from occupation to military agenda and the theft of oil.

>> Let me correct that: DS looting Syrian oil.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/turkey-sends-drill-ship-on-med-mission

Turkey sends drill ship on Med mission

Turkey launched its newest drill ship on its first eastern Mediterranean energy exploration mission in nearly two years on Tuesday.

The search for natural gas in the energy-rich waters surrounding Cyprus' divided island has become an irritant in Turkey's relations with the European Union.

The Abdulhamid Han drill ship, Turkey's fourth, will be sent to an undisputed area about 55 kilometers (34 miles) south of the city of Gazipasa, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

However, he dismissed Greek and Cypriot objections to such missions, claiming that Turkey has the right to search for energy in areas it claims as its own.

The Abdulhamid Han is "the symbol of Turkey's new vision in the area of energy," Erdogan said at the sending-off ceremony in the southern city of Mersin. "I am excited."

In 2020, tensions between Ankara and Brussels rose after Turkey sent a seismic research vessel and a drill ship into disputed waters claimed by Greece and Cyprus.

A Greek and a Turkish warship that was following one of the exploration missions collided in the Mediterranean that August.

The designated area for Abdulhamid Han is north of Cyprus and far from disputed sea areas. Erdogan, on the other hand, warned that Turkey reserves the right to explore for gas in disputed waters claimed by Ankara.

"Our ship will not stop, she will go to other wells and continue to search (for gas) until she finds it," Erdogan defiantly said.

"The drilling work we do in the Mediterranean is within our own jurisdiction. We don't need anyone's permission." According to Turkish media, the ship will be exploring for gas until October 7.

It is worth noting that Russia accounted for about a quarter of Turkey's oil imports and 45% of its natural gas purchases last year.

"The sooner we can increase our natural gas and oil resources, which have turned into weapons in the global economic crisis, the more advantage we will gain in this critical process," Erdogan said. "It will help us both reduce our energy dependency and close our current account deficit."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/guinea:-leading-opposition-coalition-dissolved

Guinea: Leading opposition coalition dissolved

Guinea's transitional government has disbanded the country's main opposition coalition, the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC).

"The grouping called the Front for the Defense of the Constitution is dissolved. The present decree takes effect on the date of signature," as per a directive linked by Territorial Administration Minister Mory Conde.

An alliance of political parties, trade unions, and civil groups, the FNDC led the protests against former President Alpha Conde before his ouster in a coup last year.

Friction has been growing for months between the FNDC and the junta, culminating in an announcement by the coalition on Monday that it would stage demonstrations on August 17.

A decree declaring the FNDC's dissolution was signed by Mory Conde. It was authenticated by AFP on Tuesday.

"The de-facto group called the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution, is dissolved… with effect from the date of signature," the ruling said.

It claimed the FNDC's "operational mode is based on violent attacks (perpetrated) during banned demonstrations, attacks against individuals who do not share their ideology, and targeted attacks against the security forces."

The organization has "the behavior of combat groups and private militias… threatening national unity, public peace, and cohabitation," it said.

The West African state, rich in minerals but deeply impoverished, has had little stability since it gained independence from France in 1958.

In 2010, Conde, today aged 84, became the country's first democratically elected President.

On September 5, as Conde's successful bid for a third term brought about anger, mutinous troops rebelled.

Junta strongman Mamady Doumbouya has pledged to return power to elected civilians within three years.

The timeline has put the junta into conflict with the region's bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

ECOWAS' chair, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, said late last month that he had convinced the junta to shorten the transition to two years. But that figure has not been confirmed by Guinea.

Demonstrations broke out in Guinea on July 28 and 29 over concerns the junta was dragging its feet on restoring civilian rule, leaving five dead.

The FNDC on Monday called for nationwide protests on August 17 to condemn the lack of "credible dialogue" and use of lethal weapons against demonstrators. The organization also called for the release of jailed supporters.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/saudi-led-coalition-loots-yemens-oil-and-gas-revenues:-al-ma

Saudi-led coalition loots Yemen's oil and gas revenues: Al Mashat

The Head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, Mahdi Al-Mashat, condemned on Tuesday the coalition mercenaries' looting of the Yemeni people's wealth and depositing its sum in the National Bank of Saudi Arabia.

During a meeting with Shabwa Governorate Undersecretary for Oil and Gas Affairs Al-Hassan Al-Harthi, he added that the Yemeni people suffer from the absence of services and the suspension of salaries due to the US-Saudi aggression.

“The oil and gas revenues looted by the mercenaries of the aggression are sufficient to disburse the salaries of all state employees and pensioners and achieve broad development at the national level, “he added.

The top Yemeni figure called on the international community and the United Nations to put pressure on the mercenaries of aggression to fulfill their commitments under the Stockholm Agreement and to pay the salaries deficit of all state employees and pensioners.

Al-Mashat detailed that the account opened in the Central Bank branch in Al-Hudaydah is still depositing the revenues of Al-Hudaydah port, including the revenues of the armistice ships.

“The other party did not commit to filling the gap for the payment of salaries," he stressed.

Salary and pension payments, according to Al-Mashat, are a basic right for all employees and pensioners.

He concluded by saying that the Yemeni people will not remain silent about the continued looting of their wealth and resources, which are transformed into companies and real estate for mercenaries abroad, while the Yemeni people suffer greatly as a result of the US blockade and brutal aggression.

The blockade of oil derivatives and preventing Yemenis from accessing them is a US aggression, affirming that confronting it is a legitimate duty.

On August 4, the Yemeni news agency Saba reported that the Saudi-led coalition looted crude oil and gas revenues in Yemen, "equivalent to the salaries of all state employees for a period of 7 months."

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia unleashed a catastrophic war on Yemen in coordination with its Arab allies and with arms and logistical backing from the United States and other Western countries.

Despite the fact that the Saudi-led coalition has failed to achieve any of its goals, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and created the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/russia-embassy-slams-lapid-for-lying-disrespecting-palestini

Russia embassy slams Lapid for lying, disrespecting Palestinian lives

The Russian Embassy in Cairo criticized Israeli occupation Prime Minister Yair Lapid's calls to bomb the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, noting that Lapid had previously adopted allegations related to the Bucha massacre.

On its Twitter account, the Embassy accused Lapid of double standards, comparing Lapid’s attempts last April to accuse Russia of the Bucha massacre and his calls for bombing the Gaza Strip this month.

The Russian Embassy hinted that Lapid was practicing double standards and showing complete disregard and contempt for the lives of Palestinians.

It is noteworthy that the Russian presidency had rejected accusations of involvement in the killing of people in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, and called for an investigation into this file "at the highest possible level."

The Russian Defense Ministry had also considered that "All photos and video materials published by the Kiev regime allegedly testifying to some ‘crimes’ committed by Russian soldiers in the town of Bucha, Kiev region, is another provocation."

The Ministry had confirmed that none of the residents of Bucha were harmed during the Russian Armed Forces' control over the city.

On Tuesday, the UN Vasily Nebenzya considered at a session of the UN Security Council that the August 5 airstrikes by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) provoked an escalation around the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli occupation launched on August 5 an aggression on the Gaza Strip, and Al-Quds Brigades announced that Tayseer Al-Jaabari, a military commander in the northern Gaza Strip, had been martyred.

Consequently, Al-Quds Brigades launched an operation in response to the Israeli occupation's aggression on the Gaza Strip, by launching salvoes of rockets toward the occupied Palestinian territories.

The brutal Israeli aggression left more than 45 martyred, hundreds wounded, and thousands displaced.

Russian-Israeli tensions rising in recent months

In recent months, relations between Russia and the Israeli occupation have been tense.

On July 15, Israeli media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had signed a new Russian law to "paralyze Jewish and Israeli organizations," commenting that "the fear is that the new law will create an impossible situation for Jewish and Israeli organizations to operate in Russia."

Israeli media then reported on there being "great tension between Russia and Israel," against the background of reports from Moscow that the Jewish Agency had been suspended, noting that this matter was linked to "Prime Minister Yair Lapid's statement regarding the war in Ukraine," describing the suspension of the agency as "political punishment".

Russian Foreign Ministry summons Israeli occupation Ambassador

Last April, the Israeli newspaper website Haaretz reported that Russia summoned the Israeli occupation Ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Ben Zvi, to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

This came after the Russian Foreign Ministry slammed Lapid for his statements following the suspension of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over the war in Ukraine.

Lapid had accused the Russian forces of committing "war crimes against a defenseless civilian population. I strongly condemn these war crimes."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/trump-suggests-fbi-planting-evidence-at-florida-residence

Trump suggests FBI 'planting' evidence at Florida residence

Following a dramatic raid that sparked outrage among Republicans, former US President Donald Trump complained Wednesday that he had been barred from re-entering his Florida resort home and suggested that FBI agents might be "planting" evidence there.

"The FBI and others from the Federal Government would not let anyone, including my lawyers, be anywhere near the areas that were rummaged and otherwise looked at during the raid on Mar-a-Lago," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

"Everyone was asked to leave the premises, they wanted to be left alone, without any witnesses to see what they were doing, taking or, hopefully not, 'planting.'"

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has refused to provide details about the raid at the palatial West Palm Beach residence, a stunning escalation of the multiple legal investigations into the 45th President.

US media outlets reported that agents were conducting a court-ordered search in connection with the possible mishandling of classified documents sent to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House in January 2021.

The raid was condemned as politically motivated and a "weaponization" of the Justice Department by Trump and other top Republicans.

However, former federal prosecutors said on Tuesday the US Justice Department's silence about its search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home indicates that the investigation is being conducted "by the book."

The search was part of the Justice Department's investigation into Trump's removal of presidential records considered official government property from the White House at the end of his term in January 2021.

"Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before," Trump said of the FBI operation.

Trump, who is considering another presidential run in 2024, questioned why Democratic rivals former President Barack Obama and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton were never subjected to the same scrutiny. "Obama and Clinton were never 'raided,' despite big disputes!" he said.

>> What a movie!