The House Foreign Affairs Committee recently approved the measure by voice vote, and it is awaiting floor consideration. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., has introduced a companion bill.
August 13, 2022
Pro justice
The American Coalition for Syria (ACS) is a diverse group of 10 Syrian-American and faith-based organizations committed to human rights and freedom in Syria, working on a wide range of critical issues that include humanitarian assistance and refugee resettlement.
Pro-justice is a founding member of the coalition.
ACS has sent a letter to the US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, asking her to raise the Captagon drug crisis intensifying in Syria with fellow diplomats from the EU, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Lebanon, during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.
The American Coalition for Syria is a diverse group of 10 Syrian-American and faith-based organizations committed to human rights and freedom in Syria, working on a wide range of critical issues that include humanitarian assistance and refugee resettlement. We respectfully request that during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly you raise the Captagon drug crisis intensifying in Syria with fellow diplomats from the EU, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Lebanon.
This highly addictive drug is being produced on an industrial scale by elements of the Assad regime and its allies. The illicit industry has transformed Syria into a narco-state, where seizures in 2021 were valued at $5.7 billion. The violent activities of drug traffickers and smugglers are having a destabilizing impact on both Jordan and Lebanon.
We have attached a chart for your consideration that underscores how in the last six months alone Captagon smuggling in MENA has intensified. We have also enclosed a three-year 2022 study on the Captagon trade that may be helpful as well.
Congress is deeply concerned over this issue. Reps. French Hill, R-Ark., and Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., have introduced bipartisan legislation that calls on the administration to undertake an interagency analysis of the breadth and depth of the Assad regime’s narcotics production activities and to provide Congress with a strategic plan within six months to stop the trade.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee recently approved the measure by voice vote, and it is awaiting floor consideration. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., has introduced a companion bill.
Captagon has metastasized from not only a public health issue for the populations of Syria and its neighbors, to a regional security threat with geopolitical ramifications for U.S. allies.
● The Captagon Threat – A Profile of Illicit Trade Consumption and Regional Realities
At the same time, the drug trade fuels the ongoing conflict in Syria as a major revenue stream that props up Bashar al-Assad and blunts the impact of U.S. and global sanctions. We believe the U.S. can strengthen international cooperation in stopping this trade by having bilateral discussions on this at the UN.
We would be happy to discuss this further to address any questions you may have or provide any additional information if needed.
Thank you for your consideration of our request.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mahmoud Barazi
President, American Coalition for Syria
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