1. The Syrian Drug Crisis CENTCOM 1 Team 4 Information Brief
01 August 2014

2. Historical Background Problem statement
Purpose and Agenda
Purpose: Provide an information brief on the illegal manufacturing and distribution of narcotics in Syria and the impact on the region
Agenda
Historical Background
Problem statement
Operational Variable Analysis (PMESII-PT)
Key Systemic Linkages
Summary
Recommendation
Questions and Comments

3. Historical Background

4. Historical Background
Syria
Syria has been a regular route used for merchants.
In Syria can be found diverse groups of religions and ethnic groups.
Syria and the USSR
1955 Syria enters in an economic and military treaty with the USSR.
1969 General Hafez al-Assad Ideology
Economic associations continue.
Modern Sunni Conflict
1973, forty-two Sunni Muslims were executed.
emphasized the need to defeat Israel in order to improve relations with other Arab states and to reduce economic and military dependence on the USSR.
Economic associations continue

5. Historical Background
1976 Syria sent forces to Lebanon
Peacekeeping force.
End civil war.
Continuous conflict with Israel.
Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley was already known for producing high quality hashish .
Between 1976 and 1991
drug cultivation in this region expanded from 10 to 90 percent of arable land.
Early 1980s
Bekaa was the source of more than half of all marijuana and hashish seized in Western Europe.

6. Historical Background
Under Syrian supervision
Lebanon became a center for opium poppy cultivation and heroin processing.
Drug production, counterfeiting, and other illicit trades.
Syrian officials are involved directly or merely offer protection to local criminal networks, Damascus gets its cut.
Without Syrian military participation, the system of growing, producing and transporting drugs in Lebanon would collapse.
Assad regime siphons at least ten billion dollars (US) a year from Lebanon, equivalent to 47 percent of Syria's gross domestic product. Work force
Syrian officers utilized the Lebanese politic system to their advantage and Lebanese politicians support Syrian government as long as Syria can secure their position in power
1980s, Syrian officers in Lebanon became heavily involved in counterfeiting U.S. and, to a lesser extent, European currencies. Iranian-produced bills 1993U.S. pressure to cease their racket. 1990, the Syrian regime exploited Lebanon's bank secrecy laws to launder billions of dollars from the drug trade, the sale of weapons to Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, and other illicit activities. For example, the Beirut-based Bank al-Madina

7. Historical Background
U.S. Involvement
1980’s Iran-Contra, Afghan mujahidin. CIA back channels.
1992 the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Crime and Criminal Justice.
1993 Syrian and Lebanese troops launched a much-publicized crackdown on drug cultivation in the Bekaa Valley.
1997 the U.S. State Department removed Lebanon and Syria from its annual list of countries that produce or traffic in illicit drugs.
1)Prince Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud
2)Syrian military earned and $1 billion from narcotics production and trafficking in Lebanon.
Washington began pressuring the Syrian government to curtail Lebanon's drug trade
3) continued to produce heroin from opium imported from Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as cocaine from raw coca paste imported from South America under Syrian protection.

8. Historical Background
The Syrians control all the ports and routes of the drug in Lebanon.
Hashish 40% to 50% Egypt, 30% United States and Canada, 10% Europe 10% Israel
Opium 100% to Egypt
Heroin United States, Europe, Israel and Syria
Amphetamines (Captagon) fenetylline, a synthetic stimulant used in the early treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Syria and Saudi Arabia

9. Historical Background

10. Problem Statement
With the extensive drug history, consistent demand, and large profit opportunities in Syria, can the US and its allies disrupt the drug trade in the country to prevent it from bolstering foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations both regionally and globally.

11. Operational Variable Analysis

12. Semi-presidential republic
Government
Semi-presidential republic
President Bashar Al-Assad in position since 2000
Al-Assad Family in power since 1970
Corruption Perception Index 2013
Score 17 dropping 9 points from 2012
Ranked 168th out of 175
2012 new Syrian constitution was introduced
Multi-party system based on the principle of political
pluralism
No guaranteed leadership of any political party
Politics in the Syrian Arab Republic is officially a semi-presidential republic, but others disagree with that assessment. The CIA claims that the power is in the hands of the President of Syria and his family, all members of the ruling Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party which is a cell of the Syrian-dominated Ba'ath Party.
Decrees issued by the president must be approved by the People's Council to become law, except during a state of emergency which was in force until 21 April 2011 when it was lifted during the Syrian uprising, (the end of it being one of the key demands of the protesters). The Ba'ath Party is Syria's ruling party and the previous Syrian constitution of 1973 stated that "the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party leads society and the state." At least 167 seats of the 250-member parliament were guaranteed for the National Progressive Front, which is a coalition of the Ba'ath Party and several other much smaller allied parties. The new Syrian constitution of 2012 introduced multi-party system based on the principle of political pluralism without guaranteed leadership of any political party.
The Corruption Perception Index score dropped 9 points from 2012 to 2013 ranking the country 168 out of 177 countries that were evaluated. This continues to be a US National interest as the civil conflict within the country will cease to be reconciled which can and will continue to lead to instability within the region.

13. Political parties and organizations National Progressive Front:
Political Actors
Political parties and organizations
National Progressive Front:
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party
Arab Socialist Movement
Arab Socialist Union Party of Syria
Syrian Communist Party (Khalid Bakdash faction)
Syrian Communist Party (Yusuf Faisal faction)
Social Democratic Unionists
Socialist Unionists
Democratic Socialist Unionist Party
Arabic Democratic Unionist Party
National Vow Movement
Popular Front for Change and Liberation
Syrian Social Nationalist Party
People's Will Party
Under the Constitution of Syria approved in 2012, a licensed party must have at least 50 founding members, aged 25 or over, who have been Syrian nationals for more than 10 years, and are not members of any other party, Syrian or non-Syrian.
It is estimated that there are over 200 political parties. Even as the Syrian civil war rages on in its third year with dim prospects for a resolution, Islamist, secular, nationalist and other groups in rebel-controlled areas are jockeying to present themselves as the best alternative to the government of President Bashar Al-Assad.
This slide is a not an all inclusive list but displays some of the prominent political parties of the National Progressive Front, Popular Front for Change and Liberation and Other registered parties within the struggle for change in the Syrian political system.

14. Political parties and organizations Cont’d
Political Actors
Political parties and organizations Cont’d
Other registered parties (as of 19 June 2012):
Solidarity Party
Arab Democratic Solidarity Party
Syrian Democratic Party
National Development Party
Al-Ansar Party
Democratic Vanguard Party (Al Talia'a Democratic Party)
National Youth for Justice and Development
Syrian National Youth Party
Syria Homeland Party (Souriya Al-Watan)
People's Party
These are addition examples of the other registered political parties playing a role in the Syrian government struggle for change.

15. Politics Syrian Government’s roll in the drug trade
Opposition organizations roll in the drug trade
The Al-Assad led government has been known for corrupt activities within its regime, such as using power and intimidation to control the Syrian business world and influence the economy to be favorable for the family and supporters of the regime. Though there is no official public knowledge that the regime is tied directly to the drug trade, it is documented that it has been involved with illegal smuggling and business schemes. There are unofficial reports that the government uses it’s security forces to control specific routes and checkpoints to transport drugs and in particular Captagon.
While some opposition groups may seem like a better option to the regime that is in place, they are supported by Armed Rebel Groups fighting to overthrow the regime and may view this as part of a wider conflict for Islam. There may also be a relationship between the Political parties and Armed Opposition Groups through which they are funded by the production and distribution of illegal Narcotics.
Jane’s Defence published the number of Al Qaeda-linked “jihadists” at , with another “hardline Islamists” who while not formally aligned to Al Qaeda, share a similar ideological outlook. The main difference between the two groups is that while “jihadists” see the struggle against Assad as part of a wider conflict against the Shiites (and, ultimately, the West), other Islamists are focused only on Syria.
If the US decides to scale up its involvement in the conflict it will have to hand-pick the rebel commanders it can trust, which will doubtless further inflame the confrontation between rival rebel units

16. Syrian Government Forces Syrian Armed Forces National Defense Force
Military
Syrian Government Forces
Syrian Armed Forces
National Defense Force
Jaysh Al-Sha’bi
Suqur Al-Sahara
Allied Armed Groups
The Syrian Government Forces consist of the Syrian Armed Forces, National Defense Forces and Allied Armed Groups. The Syrian Armed Forces consisting of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Force is commanded by the President of Syria (Commander-in-Chief) and is heavily armed and supported by Russia. The conflict in Syria has continued since 2011 and has created many key players to the military system which has a tie to the illegal drug trade.
In the 90’s it was reported that the Syrian military received a subsidy of $300 million to $1 billion annually from the heroin trade and terrorist groups headquartered in Syria drew funds from drug cultivation in the Bekaa Valley. Today it is unknown the direct relation between the Syrian Government Forces and the drug trade but it is known that the civil war has turned Syria into a major amphetamine producer and consumer. It is likely that these forces are capitalizing on production of the popular drug Captagon as they have control over key trafficking checkpoints in and out of neighboring Lebanon.

17. Key Players in Conflict Opposition Government and Allies
Opposing forces
Key Players in Conflict
Opposition Government and Allies
Kurdish Self-Administration and Allies
Islamic State Authority and Allies
Since the initial uprising against the regime, hundreds of armed rebel groups have emerged. They receive funding from Syrian businessmen, expats and Arab philanthropists, and by funding from foreign states. They are all united with the goal of removing the Assad family from power; however, they disagree on who should replace him and what the future of Syria should look like. Each group has different ideologies and interests that in many cases mirror those of their donors.
There are believed to be over 1000 groups with over 100,000 fighters.
Jane’s Defence published the number of Al Qaeda-linked “jihadists” at , with another “hardline Islamists” who while not formally aligned to Al Qaeda, share a similar ideological outlook. The main difference between the two groups is that while “jihadists” see the struggle against Assad as part of a wider conflict against the Shiites (and, ultimately, the West), other Islamists are focused only on Syria. If the US decides to scale up its involvement in the conflict it will have to hand-pick the rebel commanders it can trust, which will doubtless further inflame the confrontation between rival rebel units
Reports of seizures and interviews with people connected to the drug trade suggest it generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues in Syria, potentially providing funding for weapons, while the drug itself helps combatants dig in for long, grueling battles.

18. Social impacts Family and community. Health. Education.
Crime and corruption.
Financial issues
Genocides.
Family and community
While the family itself can be the source of drug problems, it can also be a potent force for
prevention and treatment, there is also the possibility that the rest of the family may feel embarrassed or ashamed at this behavior.
Health
The negative impact of drug abuse on health is obvious, scientifically established and
documented both in long and short term.
Education
School children who use drugs often suffer from impairment of short-term, impaired tracking ability in sensory and perceptual functions, preoccupation
with acquiring drugs, adverse emotional and social development and thus generally impaired
classroom performance. Reduced cognitive efficiency leads to poor academic performance and
a resulting decrease in self-esteem.
Crime and corruption.
Drugs and crime are related in several ways. Illicit production, manufacture, distribution,
possession and consumption (with some exceptions) of illicit drugs constitute criminal offences.
Drug-related crime occurs primarily in the form of trafficking-related activity. It also results from the need of drug consumers to
finance their addiction through theft and prostitution.
Financial issues
The costs of an addiction not only affect the sufferer but can also include family, friends and society as a whole
Genocides
Genociders swallow amphetamine pills and become barbaric criminals .

19. Employment status and productivity. Generation of employment.
Economic impacts
Employment status and productivity.
Generation of employment.
Investment.
Zero revenues industry.
Funding the war.
Employment status and productivity.
Drug abuse occurs most frequently among young people in the age group, with a
particular concentration in the age group. It thus includes those who have entered or who
are just about to enter the workforce.
Generation of employment.
While drug abuse affects labour markets by reducing productivity, it also generates some
Employment. The existence of illicit drug money, and the need to launder it, fight against rational and optimal resource allocation in a market system. Drug money is invested in areas where the origin of funds can be disguised best, often favoring precisely those sectors of an economy that are characterized by low productivity, and thus
creating new, unproductive jobs or preventing such jobs from disappearing.
Investment.
Investment which, in a wider context, includes the building of human resources is jeopardized by an illicit drug industry because resources that could be spent on education and health-care are wasted on drugs.
Tax free industry.
The drugs industry is not adding any revenues to the budget.
Funding the war.
As the war drags on, it is all the more likely that Captagon will take on a significant role funding warring parties in the conflict.

20. Original chemical make up-
Production
Original chemical make up-
C18H23N5O2 Fenethylline is metabolized by the body to form two drugs amphetamine (24.5% of oral dose) and theophylline (13.7% of oral dose)
Illegal imitation- Captagon- could contain anything from regular amphetamine to MPDV, fluoroamphetamines, methylphenidates, or a combination ephedrine and liquid or powdered caffeine.
-- theophylline- which is a Xanthine- A substance found in caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline and encountered in tea, coffee, Chemically, xanthine is a purine
"The use of Captagon and other pills increased after the revolution even among civilians because of psychological and economic pressures," a psychiatrist named George told Reuters.
--Captagon tablets are illegally manufactured in laboratories in Syria and transited to Saudi Arabia via Lebanon. Lately, these tablets go through Syria to Iraq to be used by foreign fighters and insurgents. Source---Greek regional chair ofthe Dublin Group to: Dublin Group No. prev. doc.: 13138/10 CORDROGUE 69 Subject: RegionalReport on the Near East
--- Both natural ingredients are indigenous to the middle east, north Africa, and Central Asia
-- The analysis demonstrates the presence of amphetamine, caffeine and several other substances, besides, the absence of fenethylline
Ephedra Tea Captagon Tablets

21. Transportation --

22. Transportation
Displaced personnel routes
Check points
Official Routes
Unofficial Routes
Smuggling Techniques

23. Impacts on Public Facilities, Citizens & Press
Hospitals- Lack of funding for treatment due to beds being needed for wounded
Mosques- prime targets for producers of Captagon,
Water Facilities-
Power Stations-
Residential Homes-
Media Reports of
Captagon abuse in Syria
BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS 2010 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) ……
mosques in lebanon and Syria used as labs for captagon production

24. Syrian Drug Trade Overview
Resourcing
Opposition groups/ Syrian Military
Seized Pharmaceutical Laboratories
Seized/ Purchased
Raw materials
Manufacturing
TCO
Opposition control laboratories / makeshift facilities
Distribution
DRUG DEALER
DRUG USER
TCO/Military supplied transportation
Financing
Continued fighting and terror
FTO/ TCO
Revenue
from sales

25. Key System Linkages Military exploit check points Increase drug use
Utilize transportation assets
Lowers morale/ increases corruption
Increase drug use
Drug traffickers gain profits
Funds informal economy
Economic
Social
Military
Military-Economic:
Strengthening of drug trade
Funds and support for terrorism/ criminal activities
Civil mistrust of military
Increase support for rebels

26. What We Know
Syria Currently involved in ongoing civil war with impacts seen throughout -All economic activities have slowed - Infrastructure destroyed, Borders weakened - Country currently controlled by armed forces - Drug trafficking and manufacturing in the area are seeing profits of hundreds of millions of dollars. -Due to the strain on the local economy and police force many people are becoming involved in the drug trade Currently Drugs are seen as the major contributing factor to the functioning of the Syrian Civil War, especially the amphetamine Captagon - Both Pro- Assad Forces and Anti-Assad Forces have been linked to the drug Manufacture and/or trade in Syria - Drugs are being manufactured and distributed to help fund the different factions, as well as being used by the soldiers/rebels to fight harder and longer

27. What We Know
Drug seizures in the Middle East give insight into the approximate production of Captagon coming from Syria Lebanon Million pills Beirut- 15 Million pills Saudi Arabia- 55 Million pills ( Estimated to be 10% of total pills imported) Turkey- 7 Million pills Dubai- 4.6 Million

28. Future Problems
We can learn from the past using examples where lawlessness has been exploited
Afghanistan- Once Russia withdrew became a haven for heroin production and a haven for terrorist groups
Kosovo- Serbian police force ejected and the UN mandated as “peacekeeping force” became a major hub for drug and human trafficking
Iraq- After withdrawal of U.S. troops became a hotbed for terrorist activity and transportation hub for illicit activities
all

29. Future Problems
With the increase in funds from drug manufacturing and distribution Syria could become a breeding ground for Transnational Criminal Organizations
all

30. Impact on NSS
Criminal networks are not only expanding their operations, but they are also diversifying their activities, resulting in a convergence of transnational threats that has evolved to become more complex, volatile, and destabilizing. These networks also threaten U.S. interests by forging alliances with corrupt elements of national governments and using the power and influence of those elements to further their criminal activities. In some cases, national governments exploit these relationships to further their interests to the detriment of the United States
"Transnational crime will be a defining issue of the 21st century for policymakers - as defining as the Cold War was for the 20th century and colonialism was for the 19th. Terrorists and transnational crime groups will proliferate because these crime groups are major beneficiaries of globalization. They take advantage of increased travel, trade, rapid money movements, telecommunications and computer links, and are well positioned for growth.
- Louise I. Shelley, Director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption (TraCCC) Center at George Mason University,
all

31. Summary
The Syrian drug trade is a major issue fueling the regional instability
Many actors (government, opposition, TCO) are profiting from the drug trade
The chaos from the current conflict makes it easier for the drugs to be produced and distributed
The regional instability of the drug trade is bolstering Transnational Criminal Organization activities threatening the national security of the United States.

32. identifying key players
Recommendation
The US can assist the partnering nation and international drug enforcement organizations by
identifying key players
trafficking routes
financial institutions
sanctions on raw materials*
Thus denying foreign terrorist and international criminal organizations involved
personnel
freedom of movement
revenue
materials

33. Questions and Comments

34. Sources
Alvarez-Ossorio, Ignassio. "Syria's Struggling Society _ The Syrian Uprising." Middle East Quarterly XIX.2 (2012): Web. 9 July < mosques in lebanon and Syria used as labs for captagon production Greek regional chair ofthe Dublin Group to: Dublin Group No. prev. doc.: 13138/10 CORDROGUE 69 Subject: RegionalReport on the Near East