| In the vintage comics of the 1940s, Kryptonite, a green crystalline material from outer space, was the only thing that made Superman vulnerable. Thankfully, in that universe, it was very rare. But what if, in our real world, the reverse is true – and the bad guys have easy access to hyper-boosters that increase their fighting prowess? Hamas fighters (we can also call them terrorists because this is what they are) were reportedly high on the highly addictive amphetamine stimulant known as Captagon when they carried out the 7 October attack on Israel. The innocent-looking Captagon pills, also known as the “Jihadi drug” or the “cocaine for the poor”, reportedly helped fuel the despicable barbarity committed on that day. Until 1971, Captagon was sold legally in German pharmacies as a drug that helped focus attention and overcome fatigue. During communism, my country, Bulgaria, was first a major importer of Captagon from Germany and then a major producer and exporter of Bulgarian-made Captagon to the Middle East. Captagon turned out to be highly lucrative at a time when communist Bulgaria badly needed foreign currency. The army of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, among others, was reportedly high on Bulgarian Captagon. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the production of Captagon reportedly continued illegally in Bulgaria for some time, with the country singled out in a UN report dating from 2009. Today, the major producer of Captagon is Bashar al-Assad’s Syria. | 