Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, former jihadist leader, will meet Donald Trump at the White House after being removed from US terrorism blacklist
WASHINGTON: Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday for unprecedented talks.
The visit comes just days after Washington removed Sharaa from its terrorism blacklist.
Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, will be the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the country’s independence in 1946.
Formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda, Sharaa’s group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was itself only delisted as a terrorist organization by Washington in July.
Since taking power, Syria’s new leaders have sought to break from their violent past and present a more moderate image.
Sharaa’s White House visit is “a hugely symbolic moment for the country’s new leader,” said Michael Hanna, US program director at the International Crisis Group.
The interim president previously met Trump for the first time in Saudi Arabia during the US leader’s regional tour in May.
Sharaa has already met with IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva over possible aid for the war-wrecked country.
Washington’s envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said Sharaa may sign an agreement to join the international US-led alliance against the Islamic State group.
The United States plans to establish a military base near Damascus to coordinate humanitarian aid and observe developments between Syria and Israel.
The State Department’s decision to remove Sharaa from the blacklist was widely expected.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Sharaa’s government had been meeting US demands on finding missing Americans and eliminating chemical weapons.
“These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad,” Pigott said.
On Saturday, the Syrian interior ministry announced it had carried out 61 raids and made 71 arrests targeting IS sleeper cells.
Sharaa’s Washington trip follows his September visit to the United Nations, where he became the first Syrian president in decades to address the General Assembly.
Last week Washington led a vote by the Security Council to remove UN sanctions against him.
Sharaa is expected to seek US funds for Syria, which faces significant challenges in rebuilding after 13 years of civil war.
The World Bank estimates the cost of rebuilding Syria at $216 billion. – AFP
