Key points :

• The necessity of a Gulf role by describing the crisis as “shared.”

• The Russian withdrawal from southern Syria exacerbated the situation

• Relying on increased US military support for Jordan

• A remarkable increase in the number of smuggling attempts during 2023

 

• The failure of diplomatic and diplomatic solutions forces military confrontation

 

Although the danger of drug smuggling from Syrian territory to Jordan through the border region, which is about 387 km long, and extends from the Golan Heights in the west to the Iraqi border in the east, is not a new matter and has worsened following the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011, the developments witnessed in this troubling file for the Kingdom In recent years, and more precisely in the past few years, it requires standing at length at a scene that is becoming increasingly complex and heated, and in which there is no voice louder than the voice of force.

 

Speaking about the past few years, it is impossible to ignore developments that occurred and are still occurring, during which smuggling gangs intensified their attempts to penetrate the borders, and during which the Jordanian army’s response was also cross-border, when it launched a series of air strikes on sites inside Syrian territory targeting people linked to the drug trade. This happened about 8 months after a similar operation carried out by the army, which led to the arrest of “Marai Al-Ramthan,” one of the most prominent drug smugglers, nicknamed “Syrian Escobar,” after Pablo Escobar, the famous Colombian drug trafficker.

 

Before concluding the talk about the last period, it is worth mentioning that smuggling attempts witnessed a remarkable increase and turned, according to what the Jordanian army confirmed, “from infiltration and smuggling attempts into armed clashes, with the aim of crossing the border by force by targeting border guard forces.” The confrontations also led to To the martyrdom of First Agent Iyad Al-Nuaimi, in addition to the killing and arrest of a number of smugglers during a series of confrontations, while a security raid was launched in the Al-Ruwaished District in the south of the Kingdom, which included the arrest of smugglers and merchants linked to regional gangs along the northeastern border, and large quantities of drugs, as well as weapons. Ammunition, communication devices and binoculars.

 

Smuggling in the language of numbers

 

According to the latest official data, “88 cases of unmanned aerial vehicles” were recorded on the fronts of various military regions from the beginning of 2023 until August 24, distributed among cases of “shooting down, monitoring and jamming,” in addition to confronting a total of 194 operations distributed among 81 attempts. Smuggling or infiltration, 98 seized infiltration operations, and 15 smuggling operations seized, as of the twenty-eighth of the same month.

 

In 2022, the data showed that infiltration and smuggling attempts and operations totaled 383, distributed among 218 smuggling or infiltration attempts, 120 seized infiltration operations, and 45 seized smuggling operations.

 

There were 75 infiltration operations seized in 2022 until the end of August, while 98 infiltration operations were seized in 2023 until the end of the same month.

 

Regarding the seized materials, data until August 20 showed the seizure of 3,776 “hashish” pills, 1.7 million Captagon tablets, and 2.6 kilograms of “crystal” (methamphetamine).

 

The danger is not limited to drugs only, as one of the heated confrontations that extended over two days witnessed the thwarting of smuggling and the seizure of 4 RPG missiles, 10 anti-personnel mines, a G3 sniper rifle, and an equipped M16 rifle. “With a sniper scope,” which reinforces the narrative of these gangs being linked to regional powers targeting Jordan’s security and stability, given the extent of the gangs’ activity, their capabilities, and the capabilities available to them.

 

Search for Iran and its arms

 

Although Jordan does not officially or directly accuse Iran or the Syrian regime of sponsoring these smuggling operations through militias, most notably Lebanese Hezbollah, several prominent names point the finger of blame at Tehran and its arms, which has been confirmed more than once by United Nations experts and American and European officials.

 

In a symposium held by the Masarat Foundation for Development and Development entitled: “Confrontations on the Northern and Eastern Borders and Their Threats to Jordanian National Security,” military experts and former officials said, “Iran is escalating the confrontation today with Jordan by intensifying smuggling attempts, and it is desperate to enter the Kingdom through several doors.” "Including tourism, religious or political, in the context of its efforts to restore the Persian Empire."

 

The symposium was also not without talk about “the smuggling coming to Jordan is official, in light of cooperation between Hezbollah and the Syrian regime,” while at the same time it was pointed out that “the Captagon economy in Syria generates 6 to 8 billion dollars annually for the Iranians.”

 

The two former ministers, Samih Al-Maaytah and Bassam Al-Amoush, retired Major General Tayel Al-Majali, retired Major General Abdullah Al-Hasanat, and political and strategic analyst Dr. Omar Raddad, spoke at the symposium, in the presence of an elite group of politicians, representatives, academics and media professionals.

 

Diplomatic and political efforts...stumble or fail?

 

All of this clearly indicates that the diplomatic and political efforts made by Jordan in more than one direction during past periods, including but not limited to a high-level security meeting between Jordan and Syria that was held in Amman last July, to discuss ways to combat drug smuggling. On the border between the two countries.

 

The meeting, which included the Jordanian Army Commander and the Director of Intelligence, and on the Syrian side the Minister of Defense and the Director of Intelligence, emerged from what was known as the “Amman Consultative Meeting,” which the Kingdom hosted last May, and among its outcomes was the formation of a joint committee between Amman and Damascus aimed at cooperation. In combating drug smuggling, Syria pledged to take the necessary steps to stop smuggling across the borders with Jordan and Iraq.

 

Certainly, the Jordanian effort did not limit or stop there, and attempts to search for solutions extended to several countries in the region, the region and the world, but all of this did not yield positive results, and rather the matter got worse.

 

In this regard, voices usually emerge that stress the importance of a Gulf role in supporting and assisting Jordan in its war against drug smuggling, especially since a large portion of smuggling operations (estimated at 85%) aim to reach the Gulf states, specifically Saudi Arabia, which means the need to look at The matter is considered a common crisis, the repercussions of which will be worse for the region unless it is addressed in a collective framework without leaving Jordan alone in the front and confrontation.

 

Here, it is worth noting that the Russian withdrawal from southern Syria due to the war with Ukraine increased the pressure on Jordan, as the militias affiliated with Iran filled the vacuum and gained the upper hand there, after Russia was for Jordan a guarantee that there would be no security chaos that would open the door to smuggling gangs on the territory. Wide open.

 

Therefore, Jordan is counting on receiving more American military assistance to enhance security on the border with Syria, and recently The Kingdom requested from Washington the deployment of the Patriot air defense system.

 

There is no alternative to the option of military confrontation

 

This necessarily means that Jordan has no alternative but to confront the matter with striking military force, which brings to mind the visit of His Majesty King Abdullah II to the border guards in February 2022, when His Majesty expressed his support for the new rules of engagement against operations. Smuggling, saying to the soldiers, “I want a red eye... I and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the leadership are with you so that we can protect you,” and His Majesty also said during his visit to the Drug Enforcement Administration last May, “We will strike with an iron hand anyone who threatens our national and regional security.”

 

In summary, Jordan is waging an open war against the smuggling forces that aim to threaten its security and destabilize it, while there is no voice louder than the voice of force in light of the faltering diplomatic and political solutions, which is explained by the recent developments that prompted the provision of border guard units with all modern and advanced equipment and means. To enhance its capabilities in carrying out its tasks and duties efficiently, as well as by strengthening the electronic border guard system with day and night surveillance cameras that operate in dense fog conditions, enhancing air support and radar monitoring devices, and working to build an electronic fence to prevent all forms of infiltration and smuggling across the border, especially in light of weather conditions. The bad.