Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa after U.S. removes him from terrorist listing

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is assembly President Trump on the White Home on Monday, persevering with a surprising reversal of fortunes for a person branded till three days in the past as a global terrorist by the U.S. authorities with a $10 million bounty on his head.

The previous chief of an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria disavowed Islamic extremism after rising to steer his war-torn nation. Almost a yr in the past, he led his insurgent militia to power long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad out of workplace and into exile in Russia.

Syria was crippled for many years beneath sanctions imposed by the U.S. and different nations in opposition to Assad, and Monday’s assembly on the White Home might see the nation are available even additional out of the geopolitical chilly, as Al-Sharaa seeks to normalize relations.

A senior administration official confirmed to CBS Information on Monday that Syria shall be becoming a member of the U.S.-led International Coalition To Defeat ISIS, marking a big shift in U.S. overseas coverage. Al-Sharaa’s personal former militia, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, opposed ISIS through the latter years of Syria’s 14-year civil battle, when he glided by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani.

He was anticipated to probably signal a proper settlement with President Trump throughout their in individual assembly on Monday — which shall be their third up to now — to cooperate on counterterrorism. If it occurs, it will be a extremely symbolic second, indicating a 180-degree turnaround in how Syria is considered by the U.S. authorities.

Beneath Assad about 12 years in the past, ISIS was allowed to develop and metastasize into one of the crucial highly effective terrorist organizations on the earth. At one level, it managed an enormous swath of land spanning the Syria-Iraq border.

After assembly Al-Sharaa for the primary time in Saudi Arabia in Might, Mr. Trump referred to as the Syrian chief a “younger, engaging man, robust man, sturdy previous.”

Over the weekend, he additionally turned the primary Syrian chief to shoot some hoops with the U.S. navy. Video shared Saturday by the Syrian overseas ministry exhibits him nailing a three-pointer as he performs with a U.S. admiral and a brigadier basic at an undisclosed location within the U.S. 

However till Friday morning, the Syrian president was nonetheless formally designated a terrorist by the U.S. authorities, as he had been since 2013. That designation was lifted by the tip of the day.

There might also be dialogue on the White Home on Monday concerning the official lifting of U.S. financial sanctions in opposition to Syria, which Mr. Trump put in movement in Might with an government order.

That order eliminated sanctions on Syria, “whereas sustaining sanctions on the previous president, Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, individuals linked to chemical weapons actions, ISIS and their associates, and Iranian proxies,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned in June. 

Al-Sharaa’s transitional authorities has pushed the Trump administration for sanctions aid for months, and work had been underway to ease some sanctions even earlier than the president’s Might announcement, however different measures nonetheless have to be formally revoked by Congress.

In an obvious bid to point out its willpower to crack down on ISIS and different extremists, the Syrian authorities introduced that greater than 70 alleged members of the group had been detained simply hours earlier than al-Sharaa landed in Washington.

In September, addressing the U.N. Normal Meeting in New York — one other landmark second because it had been almost six a long time since a Syrian chief had accomplished so — Al-Sharaa informed the gathered leaders that his nation was “reclaiming its rightful place among the many nations of the world.” 

However to reclaim its place, it additionally must rebuild — a herculean job that Al-Sharaa just lately informed CBS Information’ Margaret Brennan in an interview for 60 Minutes will doubtless value $600-$900 billion. 

He confused that it will require the worldwide group’s assist.

“The world watched this tragedy unfold for 14 years and could not do something to cease this huge crime,” he mentioned of the Syrian civil battle. “So, the world right this moment ought to present assist to Syria.”

On Monday, he is more likely to ask the chief of the world’s wealthiest nation to assist nevertheless he can.