Did Jordan carry out airstrikes on drug traffickers in Syria? - analysis
Jerusalem PostMay 08, 2023
Jordan conducted rare air strikes against targets in southern Syria on Monday — reportedly hitting an Iran-linked drugs factory near the Jordanian border and killing Marie al-Ramthan, an alleged drug smuggler, along with his wife and children while they were at home.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the first strike targeted Shuab in Syria's Suweida governorate, killing al-Ramthan, his wife, and his six children. Syrian opposition activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh said that the other strike hit a facility in the neighboring Daraa governorate used by Iran-backed organizations to produce and store drugs before smuggling them to Jordan.
Considering that neither Syria nor Jordan has fully commented on this strike, one may assume that the Syrian government tacitly allowed Jordan to attack its territory. At the same time, Jordan has no interest in destabilizing southern Syria any further, as that could bring even more chaos across the border. Like many aspects of the region, the real details of Syria's normalization will play out in the backrooms, away from the press.
Jordan is playing with fire as it tries to normalize relations with the Assad regime while also containing drug smuggling and Syrian refugees. Assad and his regime are disingenuous, and it's well-known that they will do everything to avoid fulfilling their promises. The US should not support normalization, and Jordan should be more thoughtful toward the regional situation.