Captagon: Assad's Secret Weapon in Winning Over Arab States

Arab states have been willing to reconcile with Syrian President Bashar Assad in hopes he will stop the flow of highly addictive Captagon amphetamines out of Syria, which has been smuggled into Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf Arab countries. Western governments fear that the red-carpet treatment Arab countries have given Assad will undermine the push for an end to Syria’s long-running civil war. The vast majority of the world’s Captagon is produced in Syria, with smaller production in neighboring Lebanon. Western governments accuse Assad, his family, and allies of facilitating and profiting from the trade, giving Assad’s rule a massive financial lifeline at a time when the Syrian economy is crumbling.