Syria wants to do its best to curry favor with the Arab countries. And drug trafficking is a crucial issue

Last week news agencies reported on an airstrike in southern Syria in which a known drug trafficker was killed. The event occurred immediately after the Arab initiative to reintegrate Syria into the Arab League in view of the forthcoming summit in Saudi Arabia. It also coincided with the passage by the US Congress of a draft resolution setting out a US strategy to halt narcotics production and trafficking by dismantling networks tied to the Syrian regime, suggesting that the US will soon commit to counter drug trafficking by putting more pressure on Syria as it seeks to fully integrate its relations with Arab states.

The industry of drug trafficking It is one of the most important issues that Arab countries press on with Syria, so addressing it is a key step in the trust-building phase between Syria and Arab countries, especially Jordan and the Gulf. We can therefore expect some concrete steps in this field facilitated by the Syrians themselves who want to give the impression of a positive collaboration to put an end to the illegal trade. However, countering drug trafficking is not easy and cannot be measured in short-term results, as it will take a long time and require constant and continuous efforts to counter the many players in the business that has flourished across the region.

Drug trafficking has become the main source of income for many groups, including parallel economies in the region, and has a network of beneficiaries with its billions of dollars in revenue. This makes it even more difficult to cancel the trade completely, at least not soon or easily. Being a key part of the economy, one wonders whether the Syrian regime can eliminate these cartels without compensation both economic and political. However, for countries such as Jordan and the Gulf, which are threatened by the increased capacities of these networks, draining the sources of this industry is vital and will require a phased strategy based on continuous evaluation of the results obtained in confronting the Syrian regime.

The presence of pro-Iranian militias in Syria is another issue on which the Arab countries insist in this process of reinstatement with Syria. On the same day as news of the attack, reports surfaced that Iranian-backed militias in Syria had begun removing their flags from bases, in response to a request from the Syrian government. This is another symbolic gesture which takes time to verify how true it is. Iran’s strategy in confrontation with Israel makes it difficult for Iran to compromise and give up the strategic advantages it has gained in Syria. It may not be a coincidence that the strike and the flag removal of Iranian-backed militias were reported at the same time as the Iranian president’s visit Ebrahim Raisi in Damascus last week and the signing of a comprehensive long-term strategic cooperation agreement in addition to 14 other agreements.

The trust building process with Syria has started and Syria will do its best to demonstrate positive engagement with Arab countries, but it is a lot to expect Syria to make serious political changes. Indeed, Assad sent a clear message in his latest visit to Moscow about the importance of increasing Russia’s military presence in his country and now with Iran and his role in rebuilding Syria. So Arab countries should not have high expectations for rapid global change as Syria is not just an Arab issue, it is an essential part of the regional confrontation between Iran and Israel on the one hand and a key avenue for Russian influence from another point of view. Nonetheless, the step-by-step strategy may be the only realistic approach in the absence of any other solution.