‘Drug War’ In Syrian Kurdish Areas? – Or ‘political clashes’?

Hawar news claims the Asayish arrested a member of the Kurdish freedom party Muhammed Ismail in Tal Ghazal who was in the possession of hashish. The Azadi party denied the suspect is a member of the Kurdish Freedom party and that the news was published to discredit the party. The Freedom Party is one of the main rivals of the PYD.

On 23 June, Mostafa Amr, his father, Mostafa Shaheen, and Mahmood Ibrahim were killed in a clash with the Asayish after the Asayish conducted anti-drugs operations in the village of Tal Ghazal. The Asayish said the issue had nothing to do with politics and that the fight happened after the group opened fire on them. According to an earlier report of Rudaw, parts of the Kurdish areas in the north of the country are becoming hubs for marijuana farming. Security units close to the Democratic Union Party have carried out operations against marijuana fields and burning them.

Posted by Van Wilgenburg / http://networkedblogs.com/MAE73