Twelve years on from the beginning of Syria’s war
Al JazeeraNov 27, 2022
The Facts
The EU has imposed sanctions on relatives of Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad over their alleged involvement in the illicit production and trafficking of drugs, specifically Captagon, a synthetic amphetamine that has commonly been found in the Middle East in recent years.
Three members of the Assad family were sanctioned; Wasim Badia al-Assad, Samer Kamal, and Mudar Rifaat al-Assad. Additional people and entities with alleged ties to the government or pro-government militias were also sanctioned, among others.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
These sanctions are another positive step in the isolation of the Syrian government, as it presides over one of the largest illicit drug empires in the world. Following a war in which the Assad regime killed Syrians with barrel bombs, starvation sieges, and chemical weapons, Damascus is now exporting misery via the Captagon trade. The international community must continue striving for justice in Syria.
Establishment-critical narrative
These sanctions against Syria are just another element of the West's dirty war against the country. Indeed, there is no evidence connecting the government to the Captagon trade. After spending the last decade supporting Jihadist terrorists who ultimately failed in overthrowing Syria's legitimate government, the West has sought to starve Syria and are using sanctions to prevent it from rebuilding. The West's imperial campaign against Syria continues unabated.
