Dr Chrissie Steenkamp

Background: Captagon (Fenethylline) is an amphetamine type stimulant (ATS) and one of the most popular substances of use in the Middle East. This study aims to describe and analyze the trajectory of captagon use, severity of addiction and withdrawal symptoms and its effect on quality of life from the perspectives of people who use captagon, who receive treatment as well as therapists. Methods: This study took a qualitative approach, using semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews, which were transcribed verbatim, translated to English and coded using Nvivo software for thematic analysis. Results: Data saturation was achieved after interviewing a total of 27 participants (7 therapists and 20 patients using captagon either alone or among other illicit drugs), most of which were male (n = 22). Their ages ranged between 18-48 years (median= 27). Four main themes were identified during the interviews: (1) Definition and sought effects of captagon; (2) the downside of captagon use and withdrawal symptoms associated with captagon use; (3) motivations for captagon use and to treatment; and (4) the impact of Covid-19 on captagon's use and on treatment. Conclusion: This qualitative study has illustrated for the first time the several challenges and complicating factors that people who use captagon and therapists face in Jordan. Findings call attention to implementing effective interventions to raise public's awareness of the negative impact of such use, with focus on high-risk groups, address the needs of different users and encourage the use of international treatment guidelines.

Captagon is an illegal amphetamine that is widely used in the Middle East. Since the civil war started in 2011, Syria has become an international hub for Captagon production. A main Captagon trafficking route runs from Syria to the Arabian peninsula via Jordan. This has caused increasing domestic con-sumption of Captagon in Jordan. This article asks how Captagon trafficking and use in Jordan intersects with war in Syria and its wider impact. It illustrates how drug trafficking can be the product of violence and can also become a conduit for further violence. The article firstly analyses the drugs-conflict nexus in Syria and emphasizes Captagon trafficking as a new case study to this literature. It unpacks the role of the state in the crime-conflict nexus. The second half of the article draws on critical border studies literature to illustrate how the illegal Captagon trade has increased violence by contributing to an increasingly militarized border, with significant consequences for the communities who live and work there. The study concludes by considering the implications of Captagon trafficking for peace and stability in Syria and the region.

The battlefields in the contemporary conflicts in the Middle East are multi-level conflicts. They take place in the air and on the ground, but an important and often overlooked dimension of these conflicts is found under the surface. This article recognizes the usefulness of political geography's ‘volumetric turn’ as it examines the use of tunnels in conflict, particularly in the post-2001 conflicts in the Middle East. It asks questions about who uses tunnels, for which purposes and about the impact of tunnels on conflicts. It proceeds to show how tunnels are used by a range of actors (including states, insurgents, civilians and organized crime groups) for various, often overlapping purposes (including offensive, defensive and smuggling/economic purposes). The article argues that tunnels impact on conflicts by benefiting the weaker side in asymmetrical warfare, by directly affecting states’ military strategy, by either generating or challenging political legitimacy and lastly, by becoming central to the economic survival of civilians in conflict. A greater recognition of the subterranean dimension of contemporary Middle Eastern conflicts will provide a more nuanced understanding of the duration, intensity and consequences of these wars.