Bashar al-Assad Uses 'Captagon' to Gain Leverage from Arab Countries

The Associated Press reported that Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, has found a way out of his current dire situation in a small white pill called 'Captagon.' This drug, which belongs to the amphetamine family, has found a booming market, especially in war-torn Middle Eastern countries. The Associated Press discusses Assad's financial and political exploitation of this drug, stating that hundreds of millions of pills have been smuggled over the years to Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, with neighboring Arab countries prioritizing the cessation of Captagon trade. Recently, Saudi Arabia discovered large shipments of these pills hidden in plastic oranges and hollowed-out pomegranates. Analysts say Assad hopes that even limited actions against drug trafficking can help him regain a foothold in the region and potentially gain assistance from neighbors to end Western sanctions. A significant portion of Captagon is produced worldwide in Syria, but Lebanon is also another producer of this drug. Western governments estimate that the illegal trade of these pills generates billions of dollars in revenue. The United States, Britain, and the European Union accuse Bashar al-Assad, his family, and allies, including Hezbollah, of facilitating and profiting from this trade. Syria and Hezbollah have denied these accusations. The EU and the US have previously sanctioned two of Bashar al-Assad's cousins, two Lebanese citizens, and dozens of others for their involvement in 'widespread drug trafficking operations.' Western officials state that this trafficking has become a lifeline for Assad's regime to escape its collapsing economic crisis. The largest and most profitable market for these drugs is neighboring countries of Syria. The cessation of this drug trade has been one of the main demands of Arab countries in negotiations with Syria to end its political isolation. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last month after being suspended in 2011 due to the severe crackdown on protesters. On May 8, airstrikes in southern Syria destroyed the home of a drug lord, killing Marhi al-Ramthan, his wife, and six children. Another attack destroyed a suspected Captagon factory outside Daraa near the Jordan border, which many view as a sign of behind-the-scenes negotiations between neighboring countries and Assad. Some activists and experts suggest that Jordan may have been complicit in this attack with Assad's consent, as it occurred just one day after the Arab League accepted Syria with Jordan's mediation. Prior to the Arab League summit in Jeddah, Jordan hosted a meeting with senior diplomats from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt to discuss establishing peace and the return of millions of Syrian refugees, but as reported by the Associated Press, the most success was achieved in negotiations regarding Captagon trafficking. Bashar al-Assad has committed to stopping the trafficking of this drug. A few days later, Syrian state media reported that police thwarted a Captagon smuggling operation in Aleppo, discovering one million pills hidden in a pickup truck. Many observers believe that Syrian opposition groups are involved in drug trafficking, but Western countries accuse Assad's close associates and allies of being involved in the production and trade of Captagon, sanctioning several individuals close to Assad. While Assad may stop some of the trafficking of this drug, he has no incentive to completely dismantle it. A Saudi official told the Associated Press that the report of a multi-billion dollar offer from Riyadh to Damascus in exchange for halting trafficking was denied, but he also stated that any offer would cost less than the damage this drug has caused to Saudi youth. The US and other Western countries are concerned that the normalization of relations between Arab countries and Syria will weaken efforts to compel Assad to end the conflicts in Syria. They have urged Assad to follow the path of peace unanimously approved by the UN Security Council in 2015, which includes dialogue with opponents, rewriting the constitution, and holding elections under UN supervision. Some experts believe that Assad may use the issue of Captagon trafficking to annul this UN resolution, but obtaining other concessions, such as the lifting of Western sanctions, will be much more difficult for him.