War and Drugs: are you surprised to learn that methamphetamines have 'fueled' military actions since World War II?

2015-10-27T16:51:36-04:00

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123779&page=1
ISIS and Captagon
"A Saudi prince and four others have been arrested after Beirut authorities foiled one of the country's largest drug smuggling attempts, seizing two tons of amphetamine Captagon pills and cocaine before they were loaded onto the prince's private plane. Prince Abdel Mohsen Bin Walid Bin Abdulaziz and the other Saudi citizens will be questioned by Lebanon’s customs authority, a source told News.com.au. Captagon is the brand name for the amphetamine phenethylline, a synthetic stimulant. The banned drug is consumed mainly in the Middle East and has reportedly been used by ISIS in Syria. Captagon manufacturing thrives in Lebanon and war-torn Syria, which have become a gateway for the drug to the Middle East, particularly the Gulf."

Nazis and Pervitin
Many of the Wehrmacht's soldiers were high on Pervitin when they went into battle, especially against Poland and France -- in a Blitzkrieg fueled by speed. The German military was supplied with millions of methamphetamine tablets during the first half of 1940. The drugs were part of a plan to help pilots, sailors and infantry troops become capable of superhuman performance. The military leadership liberally dispensed such stimulants, but also alcohol and opiates, as long as it believed drugging and intoxicating troops could help it achieve victory over the Allies. But the Nazis were less than diligent in monitoring side-effects like drug addiction and a decline in moral standards.
After it was first introduced into the market in 1938, Pervitin, a methamphetamine drug newly developed by the Berlin-based Temmler pharmaceutical company, quickly became a top seller among the German civilian population."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/the-nazi-death-machine-hitler-s-drugged-soldiers-a-354606.html

U.S. Military and 'Go Pills'
Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach are facing up to 64 years in prison for a friendly fire incident over Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 17 that killed four Canadian soldiers and wounded eight others. When the two were sent on their mission over Afghanistan and Iraq, the Air Force gave them $30 million F-16 fighter jets, laser-guided precision munitions, state-of-the-art technology, and something that came as a complete surprise — amphetamines. Amphetamines, a prescription drug, are known on the street as uppers or speed. Yet, a 20/20 investigation has found, the amphetamines, the speed pills, are now standard issue to U.S. Air Force combat pilots, to help them stay awake on long combat sorties.
The two pilots from Illinois are part of the 183rd fighter wing of the Illinois Air National Guard. Schmidt, trained as a top gun fighter pilot, was sent to Afghanistan in March. Umbach was called up at the same time, leaving behind his family and a full-time job as a United Airlines pilot...
But what happened in the skies over Kandahar on the night of April 17, would change Schmidt and Umbach's lives forever and would bring about their facing a court martial.

'Go Pills'
The Air Force calls the amphetamines it distributes to pilots "go pills." They were quietly reintroduced after being banned in 1992 by the then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Merrill McPeak." In my opinion, if you think you have to take a pill to face something that's tough, you're in the wrong business," McPeak said. There were reports during the Gulf War of American pilots becoming psychologically addicted to the "go pills" and their use now seriously concerns many leading drug addiction experts.
Dr. Robert DuPont, a former White House drug czar and one of the country's leading drug addiction authorities, says he was stunned to learn about the Air Force's use of amphetamines. "This is speed. This is where we got the phrase, speed kills," he said.

U.S. Combat Pilots on Speed

Preliminary court-martial proceedings begin next month against two U.S. fighter pilots involved in a tragic incident over Afghanistan that cost four lives and exposed a little-known fact about the way America fights its long-distance air wars.Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach are facing up...

Response by CPO Andy Carrillo, MS made Oct 27 at 2015 4:55 PM

2015-10-27T16:55:39-04:00

This perhaps explains much about Captain America's powers...I wonder if he has to test as often as I did?

Response by CPO Andy Carrillo, MS made Nov 20 at 2015 9:45 PM

2015-11-20T21:45:05-05:00

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/620822/The-ISIS-Drug-Fiends-Homemade-cocaine-fuelling-jihadis-and-triggering-psychosis

The ISIS Drug Fiends: ‘Homemade cocaine’ fuelling jihadis and triggering psychosis

PSYCHOITIC ISIS fighters are using a notorious cheap, easy-to-produce cocaine-like drug which allows them to keep fighting for hours on end, often with little food or sleep. It also triggers psychotic episodes.