By Zayed Alzyoud
The University of Jordan (UJ) Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) hosted a seminar titled “Narco-Terrorism: From War Economies to Strategic Security Threats,” examining emerging security risks in the region and their direct implications for Jordan’s national security.
Speakers warned that narco-terrorism is increasingly fuelling instability, with drug production and trafficking becoming a major source of financing for armed and extremist groups. They noted that these revenues support recruitment, logistics and weapons procurement, allowing such networks to endure and making them harder to dismantle.
Participants said the threat, particularly in the Syrian context, has evolved from a secondary criminal activity into an organised war economy that prolongs conflict, weakens state sovereignty and poses tangible risks to Jordan.
CSS Director Prof. Hasan Al Momani said the center seeks to operate as an active think tank that engages with strategic issues and supports decision-makers through research and structured dialogue. He added that the seminar forms part of a broader programme aimed at strengthening CSS’s role in regional policy discussions.
The session also highlighted the growing role of synthetic drugs, particularly Captagon, in sustaining hybrid networks that combine organised crime with ideological violence. Speakers stressed that countering the threat requires cutting off the financial lifelines that sustain extremism, alongside tighter security measures and enhanced regional cooperation.
The event featured Oxford Brookes University academic Dr. Chrissie Steenkamp, who joined virtually via Microsoft Teams, in addition to retired Brigadier General and former assistant director of the Anti-Narcotics Department Firas Al Khatib, and CSS researcher Dr. Emad Al Hammadin.