Syria’s Sharaa arrives in US for Trump talks after sanctions lifted
Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa arrived in Washington on an official visit just two days after the United States officially revoked his Specially Designated Global Terrorist status.
The former Islamist militant will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, eleven months after the rebel alliance overthrew Bashar al-Assad.
Hours before his arrival in the US capital, it was announced that Syrian security services had detained dozens of suspected members of the so-called Islamic State group.
During Sharaa’s meeting with Trump, joint efforts from the group to combat those remaining in Syria are expected to be high on the agenda.
Syrian officials said that 71 suspected members of the group were arrested and weapons and explosives were also seized.
Since coming to power, Sharaa has sought to reestablish Syria’s presence on the world stage after decades of isolation and 13 years of civil war under the Assad regime.
He traveled to the US in September to address the UN General Assembly, where he said Syria was “reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world” and called on the international community to remove sanctions.
Earlier this week, the UN Security Council supported the US decision to lift the measures; The decision coincided with Washington continuing a months-long process of gradually easing sanctions against Syria and its new leaders.
On Friday, Sharaa and interior minister Anas Hasan Hattab were removed from the US list of people suspected of supporting or financing extremist groups; The Treasury Department said the decision was “in recognition of the progress made by the Syrian leadership.”
Sharaa was listed under the name Muhammad al-Jawlani, the alias he used as leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The group was linked to Al Qaeda until 2016, when Sharaa severed ties.
Before leading HTS, Sharaa fought for Al Qaeda in Iraq and was imprisoned for a time by US forces. He was also awarded an American prize of $10 million.
The US lifted sanctions against HTS earlier this year.
Trump had previously met Sharaa during his visit to Riyadh in May, describing him as a “tough guy, very strong background.”
Despite his background, Sharaa has won support from governments opposing the Assad regime by promising to lead a moderate government that can attract the support of various ethnic groups and factions in Syria.
Earlier this year, he vowed to root out elements of the security forces accused of executing members of Syria’s Alawite minority.
Deadly violence has also erupted between Sunni Bedouin tribal warriors and Druze militias in recent months, raising questions about whether the HTS-led government can restore stability in a country defined by war for more than a decade.
