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Washington’s attitudes worsen global food security crisis.
Written by Lucas Leiroz, researcher in Social Sciences at the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; geopolitical consultant.
Once again, US irresponsible attitudes are threatening global food security. Recent reports point out that Washington is intensifying the smuggling of Syrian wheat, importing the product from regions illegally occupied by foreign troops and paramilitary militias. This situation is a strong affront to the Syrian sovereignty and has a negative impact on global efforts to reduce hunger and poverty.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, said on May 25 that US importers are significantly increasing their purchases of Syrian wheat, continuing the country’s strategy of maximizing imports from regions in crisis and conflict, such as Syria and Ukraine. In addition to grain, oil is being imported on a large scale, taken from regions over which the legitimate Syrian government has no control.
These were some of his words: “The United States continues to loot the natural and agricultural resources that belong to the Syrian people (…) [The US] expands its illegal trade in Syrian grain and oil and smuggles them outside the border (…), looting the Syrian wheat and oil, which are the basis for addressing the energy and food crisis”. In his speech, he also emphasized the current situation of those US-occupied areas from which oil and wheat are being imported, stating that “civilians in the areas occupied by the United States in Syria live under unacceptable humanitarian conditions and there is no accountability for crimes”.
This situation in Syria, although intensifying now as the world approaches a global supply crisis, began many years ago. For two decades, Syria was the only Arab country that was self-sufficient in wheat, also maintaining a high surplus that guaranteed it exporting capacity. In 2007, wheat plantations occupied crops totaling 1.7 million hectares and produced a total volume of more than four million tons of grain. The situation began to deteriorate as a result of the West-financed war against the legitimate government. In 2012, a year after the start of the conflict, Syria was for the first time forced to import wheat flour. And since then the country has become absolutely dependent on grain imports for its food security.
As the war escalated, the Syrian government lost control of some of the main wheat producing areas, which came under the control of paramilitary groups of the US-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). After the unauthorized US intervention, American troops were deployed in these zones and ensured the direct flow of goods out of Syria, causing the Syrian government to lose almost its entire production. In every region that rebel forces advanced, local farmers were prohibited from selling their grain to the government in regional agricultural markets. All production was confiscated by US and paramilitary forces and then immediately shipped abroad. A similar process happened with oil, whose producing areas were a special target of the American occupation.
Commenting on the case, Taleb Ibrahim, a Syrian political analyst and deputy director of the Damascus Center for Strategic Studies said: “The US began the great organised robbery in Syria five years ago. The regions where they are stealing oil and grains are the most productive parts of Syria, as an example the eastern parts of Syria where the US established the illegal military bases are providing Syrian people with 90% of oil products and 80% of grain. At the same time the US has imposed heavy sanctions on Syria to prevent the Syrian government from importing the most important necessities for the Syrian people, which is a war crime, like what had happened in Iraq, Libya, Cuba, North Korea, and other countries (…) The Western countries are taking the whole world for an international famine, they do not care about humanitarian considerations”.
It is important to note how these allegations come at a time of particular concern for the global food supply. The conflict in Ukraine damages world trade of grains and fertilizers, in addition to a series of sanctions imposed by the West that obstruct the flow of capital and goods. As the Ukrainian government, militarily defeated and economically bankrupt, insists on taking the fight forward, the situation becomes even more dangerous.
In this context, a true global race for food is on the rise, with countries looking to store grains to ensure food security in the long term. The West, in this sense, has acted in a rather complicated way, adhering to a predatory import of Ukrainian wheat grains in exchange for military aid in the conflict. Tons of Ukrainian wheat are being exported daily to the US and Europe, while the country’s population and the soldiers themselves suffer from growing hunger.
Nebenzia also commented on this issue in his speech: “Grain are being carried out of Ukraine actively using railways and using barges on the Danube but where is this screen going? We have reason to suspect that this grain is not being used to feed the hungry in the Global South, but it’s being stored in grain storage of a number of different European countries”.
As the situation tends to get even worse in the coming months, it is urgent that the matter becomes an international concern and that the West is obliged by the UN to fit its methods of obtaining grain into the regulations applicable to each case. It is illegal for the US to import Syrian grain without authorization from the Syrian government, just as it is unlawful for Zelensky to sign agreements to arbitrarily export grain in exchange for weapons. Either international organizations take control of the situation, or their omission will generate global hunger.
We can only blame Putin for not expelling the American $atan when it had ample opportunities to do so in the early engagements of the Syrian conflict in 2015… The same goes for the Russian Federation’s errors in judgement after the Maidan coup in 2014.
Seven years is a long time and that time was needed until Russia had the means and the logistics to fight NATO, the EU and to cement relations with China.
Russians had patiently waited to secure the upper hands over the western bloc of thugs by developing hypersonics that sent all the Anglo saxon sphere in fear of annihilation. Putin should now drop its dream of becoming an adopted friend of the pack.
Drunk hobos really think anyone is afraid of them while Ukraine is fucking Russia like there is no tomorrow :)
Seven years ago Russia had its chance to take the whole Ukraine. Now Ukraine has the chance to ruin the Russian rag-tag.
Ukraine has no chance at all. Now the Polish are about to invade the western part.
you also think it SNOWS on the SUN, you are a deluded NAZI supporting piece of trash, – Z –
Russia did not have sufficient weapons and missiles to do so until this year.
I’m sure that would only hold up in a western court to find Russia or Putin guilty for the actions of the USA. Russia is not in the business of saving other countries from their own mismanagement or of protecting them from USA, if you invite the devil in don’t be surprised when bad things happen. Russia’s only business is to protect Russia and Russia’s interests, if that also coincides with helping other countries fine if it doesn’t tough luck.
Once again when the moronic orwellian Russian propaganda talks about smuggling wheat, that’s because Vladimir Putin is trying to do just that. You can tell exactly what crimes the terrorist Russian president is trying to commit. Just tell Putin to put a bullet through his brain and get it done with it. That way all the wheat that was stolen from Ukraine by that filthy thief can finally return to its rightful owner.
The thread is about American gangsterism you twat,you seem ok with it,so STFU.
The thread is about American gangsterism because that’s exactly what Russia is. Vladimir Putin is trying to deflect the fact that all the wheat he stole from Ukraine is still stuck at the Latakia ports and the fucking moron hasn’t been able to do anything with it.
So let me get this straight: the weat “stolen” by the ruskies from Ukraine is stuck in a port of Siria now. And the Azov being safely “evacuated” from Mariupol got stuck in some russian Pow camp. Man! A lot of things gets stuck these days in some odd place or another. Interesting times we live in!
The word you are looking for is theft,the U.S. gangsters are a global threat and have been for decades,the only language they understand is the bomb and the bullet.
US state department openly bragged that they lied, cheated, and stole, knowing full well that nobody in the world would ever dare to punish the hegemonic empire.
The romans were much bigger and powerful than them ( relatively to the period ) and yet they suffered immensely when the empire started to crumble.
The roman empire spanned 2 millennia. The US empire is no more than one century old!
the united states of terrorism is nice sanction is anus and then they want a big dik in the mounth !!! F the usa !! all the world should not care about parazites and sanction their lgbtz terrorists parazites !!!!
All I feel were disgust and disappointment, begin to wonder what sort of dodgy deals were made between Russia USA Turkey and Israel, why did Russia allowed the defeated terrorists to settle in Syrian locality with their weapons enjoying autonomous privileges to rule Idlib? such a big blunder..! Moreover why were the US-led rebels were allowed to occupy the oil rich areas stealing and smuggling the oil from Syria? Furthermore why were the frequent Israeli raids were allowed inside Syria causing death and destruction..? These nefarious activities were prevailing inside Syria that’s supposed to be under the protection of Russia.. Are Russians so dumb to realise that the world is watching these serious events over Syria that tarnished the image of Russia creating an impression that it’s not a reliable partner, common Moscow show the world who’s now the new boss that carries and wields a big stick made of hypersonics, the same stick that deterred NATO from interfering with the special operation. Go RuZZia.
Russia’s only business is to protect Russia and Russia’s interests, if that also coincides with helping other countries fine if it doesn’t tough luck.
Russia is not going to war with the USA to get them out of Syria nor are they the world’s policeman who will stop USA doing illegal things. On the other hand they do have a base in Syria and are quite happy to take out some terrorists (western proxies ) that had threatened to take over Syria and threaten their base.
Fake news … Syria’s wheat belongs to the USA under the “Rules Based International Order”.
President Obama called dibs on Syria back in 2012 before president Assad had a chance to did giving the USA rights to anything “Syrian”. The Kurds called “shotgun” so they get to sit in Syria next to the USA who are in the drivers seat.
The Russians and Turks countered with “No fair” but Obama counter countered with an incisive “tough titty” putting them in their place.
Yes you got it right.
It is the right of the strongest that prevails.
IS’s crew used their forces to fight their compatriots instead of Israel and the United States Zionists.
Now that hunger is coming, they have plenty of time to think about what they have done.
But religious illiterates probably do not find the right answer and deserve their fate.
how come the US wheat grows in Syria? How come the US oil is under the Syrian sand? US is no more than a bunch of highly armed robbers.
Understand it as sarcasm.
UK TOO!
Syria should attack the invaders.
Time for Syria with Russia and Iran’s backing to start moving on towards the USA bases making the ultimatum that the USA MUST leave Syrian soil and that if they fire upon the Syrian army then they will be legitimate targets for Syria, Iran, and Russian forces in Syria, it is time to force the USA hand and make them withdraw the USA cannot afford to fight the Syrian army the time is perfect for Syria to expel the USA terrorist forces once and for all from Syria. – Z –
The USA has the biggest some argue the best army/navy/air force in the world it also despite the debt has the most economic power (not to mention thousands of nuclear weapons). No one is going to war with the USA for the benefit of someone else.
Russia will risk nuclear war with them to prevent NATO expansion in Ukraine as that threatens Russia’s survival. China will risk nuclear war with USA if they try to take Taiwan ( make it independent with USA help, advice, weapons and military bases ) as that threatens China’s survival. They won’t risk direct war with USA for Syria sorry but that’s the facts. If direct war with USA and Russia in Ukraine kicks off mind you all bets are off.
Syria’s own fault; hasn’t done anything to get rid of the US. Try throwing a match on the wheat fields.
And America has plenty of farmlands Enough to be self sufficient for wheat. It’s all frauds. Deceptions for power games. For the ruling class which us ALWAYS the PRIESTLY class first. Them the Royal and then the rest down through the ranks.