Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWe're not just fighting ISIS's fanaticism, they are high on speed.
The Scary Amphetamine Pill Fueling Middle-Eastern Fighters
The Nazis seemed to have limitless endurance and strength, only to eventually be undone by the affects of what's now known as methamphetamine. A pill known as Pervitin, widely used by Hitler's army and Hitler himself, was one of the reasons the Axis Power became a little too ambitious. Apparently, there's something more powerful and more dangerous floating around war zones like Syria: Captagon.
According to a Reuters report published in 2014, the war has turned Syria into a "major" amphetamines producer -- and consumer.
"Syrian government forces and rebel groups each say the other uses Captagon to endure protracted engagements without sleep, while clinicians say ordinary Syrians are increasingly experimenting with the pills, which sell for between $5 and $20," Reuters reported.
Captagon has been around in the West since the 1960s, when it was given to people suffering from hyperactivity, narcolepsy and depression, according to the Reuters report. By the 1980s, according to Reuters, the drug's addictive power led most countries to ban its use.
The United State classified fenethylline ("commonly known by the trademark name Captagon" as a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act in 1981, according to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
A drug control officer in the central city of Homs told Reuters he had observed the effects of Captagon on protesters and fighters held for questioning.
"We would beat them, and they wouldn't feel the pain. Many of them would laugh while we were dealing them heavy blows," he said. "We would leave the prisoners for about 48 hours without questioning them while the effects of Captagon wore off, and then interrogation would become easier."
One secular ex-Syrian fighter who spoke to the BBC said the drug is tailor-made for the battlefield because of its ability to give soldiers superhuman energy and courage:
"So the brigade leader came and told us, 'this pill gives you energy, try it,' " he said. "So we took it the first time. We felt physically fit. And if there were 10 people in front of you, you could catch them and kill them. You're awake all the time. You don't have any problems, you don't even think about sleeping, you don't think to leave the checkpoint. It gives you great courage and power. If the leader told you to go break into a military barracks, I will break in with a brave heart and without any feeling of fear at all you're not even tired."
http://crooksandliars.com/2015/11/scary-amphetamine-pill-fueling-middle
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
4 replies, 780 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (7)
ReplyReply to this post
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
We're not just fighting ISIS's fanaticism, they are high on speed. (Original Post)
Archae
Nov 2015
OP
HuckleB
(35,773 posts)1. What's in Trump's breakfast?
Hmm.
peace13
(11,076 posts)2. Research the drugs US soldiers have been given.
Not to worry, we do it too!
2naSalit
(86,647 posts)3. Variations and
previous evolutions of that stuff have been in the desert theater for a long time now. Recall, for instance, that rummy is a major placeholder on the executive board of a major pharma network of some sort... along with this, 'splains a lot. I wonder if this was part of the routine for our troops and possibly a factor in the high instances of suicide.
Most of the terorist organizations in South and Central America and Africa use some kind of stimulant or a cocktail of substances.
MattSh
(3,714 posts)4. Don't forget the Saudi prince caught with 2 tons of the stuff.
Since I doubt it's for personal use, it's most likely for their ISIS buds in Syria.
A Saudi prince and four other people were arrested at Beirut's airport on Monday after they allegedly attempted to smuggle two tons worth of amphetamines onto the prince's private plane, a Lebanese official told the Associated Press.
The anonymous official did not offer additional details about the drug bust, but it was reportedly one of the largest in Lebanon's history. There are dozens of princes in the Saudi royal family, but the one arrested on Monday has not yet been identified.
Illegal amphetamines also known as speed or uppers have surged in popularity across the Middle East in recent years, especially in Saudi Arabia, where authorities have seized more amphetamines than in any other country, according to the United Nation's Office of Crime and Drugs. In 2011, nearly 40 percent of the amphetamines seized in the world came from Saudi Arabia.
Almost all of the amphetamines seized in Saudi Arabia are in the form of Captagon pills, the brand name form of fenethylline, a synthetic stimulant used to treat attention deficit disorders.
-----> https://news.vice.com/article/saudi-prince-reportedly-caught-with-two-tons-of-speed-on-private-plane-in-beirut