During a visit to the Royal Hashemite Court, along with representatives of community, women’s and youth initiatives, and civil society organizations, on Monday, January 8, 2024, Members of the National Alliance for Combating Narcotics in Jordan praised Jordan’s firm stands and His Majesty’s continuous efforts regionally and internationally to stop the Israeli aggression and violations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, in addition to the great role played by the Jordanian Armed Forces and security services in maintaining Jordan’s security and stability.
The alliance praised the efforts and capabilities of our security and military apparatus in confronting the scourge of drugs and their smugglers and traffickers through organized and comprehensive security campaigns, stressing that the next stage requires strengthening the home front and maintaining its cohesion.
Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi said that “Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, has devoted its efforts since the beginning of the brutal aggression on Gaza to stop the aggression and deliver humanitarian and medical aid to the strip, as His Majesty continues to call on the international community and influential countries in decision-making capitals to shoulder their moral and humanitarian responsibilities to deter Israel from continuing its aggression.
Issawi also pointed out that the current stage requires everyone to confront anyone who tries to undermine national unity and the cohesion of the home front, and to stand united to defend our homeland and its resources, stressing His Majesty’s position on the repercussions of the continued aggression on Gaza, which will drag the entire region into a disaster that will be paid for by all, as it will lead to more violence and more conflicts.
For his part, former Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration, retired Major General Tayel al-Majali, who heads The National Alliance for Combating Narcotics, stressed the need to strengthen the system of protection, awareness, and prevention, and to intensify awareness and educational efforts on the dangers of drugs, which requires concerted security, governmental, and civil efforts from the media, civil society institutions, and experts in this regard. Moreover, he highly valued the role played by the armed forces and security services in deterring the attacks of armed gangs and militias on the northern border, which aim to “pass their poison into our country as well as neighboring countries.”
Meanwhile, retired Major General Ammar Al-Qudah indicated that Jordan’s national security is reflected in combatting everything that poses a threat to its interests from any source, as the geopolitical spaces around us have become alarming and require an appropriate response to ensure that these threats do not make their way into Jordan, given the many attempts by armed and trained militias to cross the Jordanian border with a clear determination to smuggle drugs and weapons.
In turn, the President of the Jordanian Anti-drugs Society, Dr. Musa Tarifi, stressed the need to raise awareness among citizens in general, and residents of border areas and border towns in particular, calling in this context for the support of the Royal Court to conduct a comprehensive national study through a royal initiative or assigning this mission to the relevant ministries and government institutions, in order to provide new and accurate statistics, which will positively reflect on the development of effective strategies and programs that better serve the members of society.
Criminology expert Dr. Khawla Al-Hassan praised the efforts of His Majesty the King in his directives to develop a drug prevention strategy, which the Chairman and members of the Alliance took part in reviewing, as well as identifying the concerned authorities and the roles assigned to each party to embody the principle of cooperation between official and non-official institutions, international community organizations, and experts in the field of drug control, noting that the Kingdom has been exposed to internal and external threats for over ten years, and that it is important to pay attention to those threats and fight them as they can affect various segments of the Jordanian society, including men, women, and persons with disabilities.
For her part, Reem Al-Fares from the Royal Health Awareness Society valued Jordan’s position in the war on Gaza, indicating that the Society has a societal and national role to protect citizens from the scourge of drugs through the application of the “Tahseen Initiative” which operates in a number of schools and youth centers working with it.
In order to raise awareness about the scourge of drugs, Nour Al-Khasawneh of Amman FM explained that the radio station has created a radio show called (Siraj), where it hosts specialized experts as well as social and legal activists with the aim of exchanging experiences and information in this regard.
In a related context, the participants in the meeting stressed the need to raise awareness about the important role of the media and social media, and to utilize them in clarifying Jordan’s real positions and continuous efforts towards the issues of the nation and confronting false claims, noting the efforts to dry up drug sources and secure borders by building peace and stability in the region.
