Hazim Alaridi– for Alarabi Alqadeem
The Syrian event received attention in Washington at the beginning of the uprise in Suwayda, but the anti-drug issue has returned to the forefront of the local scene, raising serious questions to decision-makers, especially after the Jordanian air strike that claimed the lives of civilians, including children and women.
In the meantime, the Jordanian authorities confirm that the strike was aimed at combating drug smuggling into its territory. Amman also insists on coordinating with the regime in Damascus, even though it is accused of partnering with its supporters in Tehran of managing the manufacture and smuggling of this scourge, which reached the territory of the United States after Europe and the Arabian Gulf via the Jordanian territories..
The most prominent questions remain: Is it possible to address the Captagon problem locally, or does it require international cooperation? Where does Washington stand in relation to everything that is happening?
To look at the American position as it unfolds, we (the Syrialand team) got in touch with one of the pioneers of the “lobbying” activity that pressures decision-making in the American capital, and everyone remembers the association of our guest’s presence with the presence of the eye-witness, “Caesar”, in the American Congress during discussions of the issue of the Syrian detainees in the Assad jails. However, few people know about his decisive role and the cadres of the “Syrian Emergency Team Organization (SETF)” in issuing the “Caesar Act” and many American laws such as “anti-normalization with Assad” and other policies that pressure the Assad regime to submit to the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2254 and respond to human rights cals in Syrian.
We had this quick meeting with Moaz Mustafa, CEO of SETF, and we publish it on Alarabi Alqadeem network, with the expectation that we will have a lengthy discussion of the details of these activities soon.
The American anti-Captagon law calls the Assad regime a “drug exporting regime.” This law is supposed to work to weaken and disrupt Assad’s drug-promoting network. How does this law work through the American judicial system?
- The “Captagon” law*, which was passed and became an approved law in the United States, was presented, as you know, by Republican Representative French Hill, and the work is still ongoing to activate it in the best and strongest way. This law has a wide impact in that it addresses the American government, all its ministries and all its institutions, to work to stop and disrupt any production or export of Captagon.
2- The civil society in Suwayda had confronted, with the blessing of its traditional and spiritual leaders, some smuggling gangs affiliated with the regime, which turned this border area into a “smuggling corridor,” but these leaders indicated the need for cooperation with regional powers. Does this law support these endeavors?
- Congressman Hill, after communicating with some of the key figures in Jabal al-Arab (Swayda), became aware that As-Suwayda has a very important role, and that it is greatly harmed by the Captagon issue. Currently we are working on several things With the American administration to combat drugs that are manufactured and supervised by the Assad regime, to convey the true picture of the status of the Captagon file, its export mechanisms, and the networks that distribute it, as well as the conditions of those who are negatively affected by this matter, especially the people of Suwayda, and how the people, and even neighboring countries, can play a role positively to stop Captagon.
At the same time, and this is most important, we delivered a direct and clear message to Representative French Hill and others that we do not want a repeat of what happened in the past, when innocent civilians who died were targeted as a result of a bombing whose goal was to stop Captagon smuggling.
- The direct role of the people of Suwayda, whether it is in coordination with the (US) Drug Enforcement Administration, or with Congress and with Representative French Hill directly, or with the US Department of Defense and the US Treasury, or with neighboring countries, is a very important role, and in my opinion, the best way to stop this crime in As-Suwayda is committment by the people of As-Suwayda themselves.
3- Confronting the root of the problem may lead to confronting the rogue countries that manage the manufacturing and smuggling of Captagon. What are the possible executive mechanisms to confront the problem within an international framework?
We work in Washington, in Congress, and its two chambers, and we address the American administration to carry out two tasks:
– First, we are trying to get this law to its goal, and this requires precise and complex work, so that it succeeds in dealing with all regional powers and even with people, families and everyone to stop Captagon, and we are doing this by working with the various departments. This is what can be said now, and we can talk in clearer details at a later time.
In conjunction with this, we are working to devote the role of Representative French Hill, as the party in charge of the issue of combating Captagon, or to be the ambassador to the people of Suwayda and to the Syrians regarding what should be done and how this law that he wrote and presented himself should be implemented.
Finally, in the budget that is approved annually in the US Army, we are trying to add a number of new articles through which we allocate the importance of working specifically with the people on the ground to combat Captagon, and here we mean the people of Suwayda, the actors, the people , dignitaries, activists, and those who do work related to border security, and others. If we succeed and this is adopted in this budget, it will become an effective law and its application will be binding, in addition, of course, to the implementation of the first “Captagon Law.”
4- Perhaps international efforts are inevitable to reach a radical solution to the problem, especially since regional countries sponsor Assad’s drug trafficking network. What is your comment?
- On the issue of Captagon, there are many topics that we can mention : Suwayda, Bashar al-Assad regime, Iran, and Russia ; because there is a second law for Captagon that we are working on issuing, in addition to the articles that we are working on in the defense budget. And this will help in targeting relevant people, entities, and companies, direct production and export of Captagon.
5- Thanks for your efforts in combating drugs, and other issues that are in the interest of Syrians. Is there a final word you would like to address to the families inside?
I hope that we will have time and be able to communicate again, and I will listen to more of your questions, go into greater detail, and talk about any other matters. I do consider the people of Suwayda as my family and I would be honored if I could help in any way. Thank you all.
Hazim Alaridi is a Syrian journalist who worked in investigative journalism in Damascus and in audio-visual media in London, Istanbul, and Amman.
* On December 23, 2022, US President Joe Biden signed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included the “Combating Assad Drug Trafficking and Stockpiling Act,” known as the Captagon Act.
