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

Arab states are willing to reconcile with Syrian President Bashar Assad in hopes he will stop the flow of highly addictive Captagon amphetamines out of Syria, which have been smuggled into Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf Arab countries. Stopping the Captagon trade is a high priority for Arab countries, and halting it has been a top demand in their talks with Syria on ending its political isolation. 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.