MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - The United States is continuing to plunder Syria and finance anti-government groups under the pretext of protecting the country's petroleum infrastructure, head of the Russian National Defense Control Center Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev said on Thursday.
"The United States and its allies are continuing their attempts at destructive interference into the internal affairs of Syria. Part of the U.S. forces has been returned to the territory east of the Euphrates 'to protect oil derricks'. What is really happening is misappropriation of hydrocarbon resources for the purpose of enrichment and fueling anti-government forces in the region. Open stealing of the national assets of the Syrian people is preventing the prompt revival of the republic's economy," Mizintsev said at a joint meeting of the interdepartmental coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria on the return of refugees and restoration of peaceful life in Syria.
Mizintsev said that Washington is trying to prove the legitimacy of its presence in Syria to remain able to "plunder the Syrian subsoil resources with impunity."