Assad is Drug Kingpin – US House of Representatives
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – US House of Representatives approved on Tuesday a bill to disrupt and dismantle narcotics production and trafficking affiliated networks linked to the “Bashar al-Assad regime” in Syria, based on announcement by the US representative for Arkansas’s 2nd congressional district, French Hill.
Hill said, “If we do not work with our like-minded partners at first to hinder the narcotics trade, and replace it with a working system of institutions that serve the Syrian people, then Assad will, in fact, add the title ‘Drug Kingpin’ to his global recognition status as a leading mass murderer.”
Draft of this bill had been proposed earlier by Hill and his friend Brendan Boyle, Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives.
The bill says the federal government should develop a joint intra-agency strategy to disrupt and dismantle narcotics production and trafficking and affiliated networks linked to the “Bashar al-Assad regime” in Syria.
Before passing the bill to the house floor, Hill gave a speech, urging on supporting and voting in favor of the bill.
Hill said, “In addition to regularly committing war crimes against his own people, the Assad Regime in Syria now is becoming a Narco-state.”
He added, “The current epicenter of the drug trade is in territory controlled by Assad’s regime.”
He went further saying that drugs’ production and trafficking in Syria and the neighboring countries “has become more expansive and more widespread.”
Hill, in his speech, criticized the State Department and the White House for their failure in “including Syria and their required determinations of major drug transit and major illicit drug production countries.”
He stressed, “Captagon has already reached Europe and it is only a matter of time before it reaches our shores.”
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said on September 19 that drug smuggling from Syria continues and poses threats to the country as it aggravates largely.
Syrian-Jordanian border is active with drug smuggling through Daraa and Suwayda governorates into the Hashemite Kingdom via smugglers related to Lebanese Hezbollah, according to local sources.
On August 27, Jordan’s army announced it aborted a mass smuggling operation of drugs coming from Syria following clashes with smugglers.