WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (CGTN) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion on Sunday that Exxon Mobil or another U.S. oil company operates Syrian oil fields drew rebukes from legal and energy experts.

"What I intend to do, perhaps, is make a deal with an ExxonMobil or one of our great companies to go in there and do it properly ... and spread out the wealth," Trump said during a news conference about the U.S. special forces operation that led to the death of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp, the two largest U.S. oil companies operating in the Middle East, declined to comment on his remarks.

"International law seeks to protect against exactly this sort of exploitation," said Laurie Blank, an Emory Law School professor and director of its Center for International and Comparative Law.

"It is not only a dubious legal move, it sends a message to the whole region and the world that America wants to steal the oil," said Bruce Riedel, a former national security advisor and now senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think-tank.

"The idea that the United States would 'keep the oil' in the hands of ExxonMobil or some other U.S. company is immoral and possibly illegal," said Jeff Colgan, an associate professor of political science and international studies at Brown University. Colgan also said U.S. companies would face "a host of practical challenges" to operate in Syria.

Even getting Exxon or another major oil company to develop Syrian oil would be a "hard sell" given its relatively limited infrastructure and small output, said Ellen R. Wald, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center.

"International law seeks to protect against exactly this sort of exploitation," said Laurie Blank, an Emory Law School professor and director of its Center for International and Comparative Law.

"It is not only a dubious legal move, it sends a message to the whole region and the world that America wants to steal the oil," said Bruce Riedel, a former national security advisor and now senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think-tank.

"The idea that the United States would 'keep the oil' in the hands of ExxonMobil or some other U.S. company is immoral and possibly illegal," said Jeff Colgan, an associate professor of political science and international studies at Brown University. Colgan also said U.S. companies would face "a host of practical challenges" to operate in Syria.

Even getting Exxon or another major oil company to develop Syrian oil would be a "hard sell" given its relatively limited infrastructure and small output, said Ellen R. Wald, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center.