UNCONFIRMED : US airstrikes target 32 oil tankers near Syria’s Deir al-Zor

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

Clearly, I have no way of verifying this news yet.

US airstrikes target 32 oil tankers near Syria’s Deir al-Zor

Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishWednesday, 24 April 2019

US airstrikes have targeted 32 oil tankers in Deir al-Zor which tried to enter government-held areas, Al Arabiya’s correspondent reported citing the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Last Update: Wednesday, 24 April 2019 KSA 01:04 - GMT 22:04

[Guillaume Albasini + 851]

Some actors of the Syrian conflict are probably spreading false rumors trying to involve the US and Iran into a wider conflict.

In this Jerusalem Post article there is a good explanation on how some unconfirmed rumours ended being presented as "news" :

 

The way the rumor-mill becomes “news” is that it begins with several social media accounts and then smaller websites pick up the chatter and claim there are “local reports.” Then larger media organizations pick up the “local media reports” and suddenly there are whole articles at Press TV or other places. Then Western media will repeat the claim based on an “Iranian report.”

What may be entirely manufactured or made-up information can then become “reports of airstrikes.” Once the cycle of laundering the information has begun, it spreads quickly. Eventually governments may even be forced to respond to the rumors. Even hours after the “airstrikes” on the 32 tankers, more and more media were picking up the report. At the same time, other social media users were still trying to figure out what happened on the night of April 22, concluding there had been no airstrikes. Idrees Ali of Reuters also noted on Wednesday morning that “US officials say they have no evidence to support any such strike taking place.”

The increased tensions appear to be leading to false reports of airstrikes. This could be an honest mistake that feeds rumors. It also appears that the groundwork has been laid through reports of “conspiracies” to accuse the US of actions against the IRGC in the border area of Iraq and Syria. This could potentially lead to a wider conflict if the rumors eventually turn into reality, because people on the ground are also tense and nervous regarding the complex situation and competing groups all in close proximity to one another.

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Rumors-seek-to-drive-US-and-Iran-into-conflict-in-eastern-Syria-58772

[Old-Ruffneck + 1,246]

11 minutes ago, Guillaume Albasini said:

What may be entirely manufactured or made-up information can then become “reports of airstrikes.” Once the cycle of laundering the information has begun, it spreads quickly.

I tend to agree with this, is total fabricated to try and drag us into another conflict. I would assume the Iranians if they try to close the Strait, now that will be real news. Swift action and an entire Navy will be scrap iron and might be cause to go on land. Iran is no friend to Jewish folks, the KSA folks, and USA folks. Lets see how this plays. 

[Danlxyz + 63]

What does "targeted" mean?

Lit up with their radar? Observed? Flew over?

How did they determine 32?

How many angles can dance on the head of a pin?

/sarc off

[wrs + 893]

I assume these tankers are oil trucks, not ships. 

[Old-Ruffneck + 1,246]

1 minute ago, wrs said:

I assume these tankers are oil trucks, not ships. 

Ass - u - me/ I wouldn't assume anything till the reporting by real news lets us know.

[Guillaume Albasini + 851]

15 minutes ago, wrs said:

I assume these tankers are oil trucks, not ships. 

These tankers are just fake rumors. 

But just checking where Deir-es-Zor is located is enough to discard there could be large sea-going tanker ships there.

Deir-es-Zor is on the Euphrates river but there are several dams between this city and the Persian Gulf so I doubt you can navigate this river from this city to the Sea.

[Tony Ryals + 4]

Quote

Some actors of the Syrian conflict are probably spreading false rumors trying to involve the US and Iran into a wider conflict.

In this Jerusalem Post article there is a good explanation on how some unconfirmed rumours ended being presented as "news" :

 

The established media such as Jerusalem Post and particuarly the NY Times are the very sources of lies about 9/11 and WMDs  in Iraq that led to how many deaths and how much misery and the overthrow of the U.S. Constitution and yet they are the very ones who wiil blame  bloggers who are then censored by Google and youtube et.al,for spreading false rumors even if they aren't.Personally I'd trust Iran's presstv that youtube recently banned before I'd trust the Jerusalem Post.I do read  Haaretz of Israel quite often however who acknowledged that Israeli's  ICTS  International who guarded Logan Airport Boston on 9/11 also were stil in control of Schipol Airport Amsterdam on Christmas 2009 when so-caled Nigerian crotch bomber Mutillab was allowed to board flight to 253 for Detroit.If you search you'll find the NY Times made sure not to mention any of these facts.Trump stil lies about dancing Arabs in New Jersey on that infamous day and the NY Times makes sure to never correct him and point out who was really dancing and celebrating there that day.........

However as to the alleged tanker bombing you did a good logical deduction by noting that the area mentioned is inland and thus could not  be sea going ships.

 

Edited April 24, 2019 by Tony Ryals

[ceo_energemsier + 1,818]

8 hours ago, Guillaume Albasini said:

These tankers are just fake rumors. 

But just checking where Deir-es-Zor is located is enough to discard there could be large sea-going tanker ships there.

Deir-es-Zor is on the Euphrates river but there are several dams between this city and the Persian Gulf so I doubt you can navigate this river from this city to the Sea.

These would be tanker trucks no vessel, barge or even dhow wouldnt be up in those waters.  Maybe they are also using donkeys with buckets filled with oil and smuggling it out as it was done before in the Iraq situation.

Edited April 24, 2019 by ceo_energemsier
typo

[Guillaume Albasini + 851]

I've found perhaps an explanation on the origin of this rumor.

The Al-Masdar News website reports that a ferry carrying fuel caught fire while traveling on the Euphrates river. It's not related  to an airstrike and there is no proof it was even related to any act of war. So it's possible it was just an accidental fire.

Perhaps it was just carrying 32 barrels of oil and someone reported about 32 oil tanks wrongly translated into 32 oil tankers. Then, someone spotted a warplane in the sky and wrongly related the ferry on fire to an airstrike. And you end up with an accidental fire on a ferry carrying fuel converted in a US airstrike targeting 32 oil tankers.

The website shows a video of a fire  but it's hard to identify what is really burning and where it is located.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-ferry-carrying-fuel-catches-on-fire-while-traveling-on-the-euphrates-river/

 

 

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

Without a doubt, oil traders will take this unverified incident into account when pricing oil.

[ceo_energemsier + 1,818]

5 hours ago, Guillaume Albasini said:

I've found perhaps an explanation on the origin of this rumor.

The Al-Masdar News website reports that a ferry carrying fuel caught fire while traveling on the Euphrates river. It's not related  to an airstrike and there is no proof it was even related to any act of war. So it's possible it was just an accidental fire.

Perhaps it was just carrying 32 barrels of oil and someone reported about 32 oil tanks wrongly translated into 32 oil tankers. Then, someone spotted a warplane in the sky and wrongly related the ferry on fire to an airstrike. And you end up with an accidental fire on a ferry carrying fuel converted in a US airstrike targeting 32 oil tankers.

The website shows a video of a fire  but it's hard to identify what is really burning and where it is located.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-ferry-carrying-fuel-catches-on-fire-while-traveling-on-the-euphrates-river/

 

 

Thanks for the update!! I was close enough when I said a dhow LOL, but a ferry , just a  tad smaller.

We saw a lot of those floating around back in the day on both of the rivers

back then the cliche was

which one of them is gona get you!!!

yea that ferry could have been carrying 32 tin cans of olive oil for all we know or kerosene!

[canadas canadas + 136]

See the following and use your browser translator if necessary:  https://orient-news.net/ar/news_show/166070/

[Guillaume Albasini + 851]

23 minutes ago, canadas canadas said:

See the following and use your browser translator if necessary:  https://orient-news.net/ar/news_show/166070/

This Orient Net article seems to confirm the explanation I had presented in a former post...

 

Google translation :

 

A water ferry carrying about 50 barrels of oil was burned on Wednesday on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the town of Bqrass east of Deir al-Zour.

Journalist Suhaib al-Jaber from Deir al-Zour told Orient Net that the oil ferry was heading from the areas of control of the east of the Euphrates to the areas of Assad's sectarian militia in the town of Qouriya on the West Bank of the Shami river.

He denied that the cause of the burning of the ferry bombing by the International Alliance led by the United States of America to prevent the transfer of oil to the Assad regime, pointing out that there are old agreements between the Assad regime and the supply of oil and America aware of it, did not happen that America bombed points of exchange, whether land or water .

He pointed out that there is a land crossing also used by the militia to supply the Assad oil system, the Salhiya crossing in the northern crossing of the city of Deir al-Zour, where the control of the Assad militia, and attributed the cause of combustion to unintentional error, during the loading or operation of the ferry, which led to the burning.

A suffocating crisis
The Assad regime leases oil from its areas through the brokerage company known as Al-Qatraji and owns a storage area in Al-Hasakah in Jabal Abdul Aziz to receive oil coming from Iran and from the militia of Qusad and send it to the areas of the Assad regime. In one of his statements, US President Donald Trump pointed out that they spotted The sale of Iranian oil in that region.

As the US sanctions on Iran, especially on its oil exports, have increased, and many trucks transporting oil after receiving them from the areas of Qusad to the areas of the Assad regime have been subjected to a heavy bombardment, according to activists. Where the institutions and ministries of the Assad government are no longer able to secure gasoline for its elements and means of transport.

It is noteworthy that the streets of the capital Damascus, empty of cars due to lack of fuel, and stand in line for large fuel stations for a full day in order to obtain a share of fuel identified by the Government of Assad, while some people move through the horse, while failed institutions and government departments For fueling their fuel needs for vehicles, where pictures showed on the communication sites the breakdown of motorcycles to the police for work.