Trump meets Syrian president al-Sharaa, ex-jihadist who toppled Assad
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Trump and al-Sharaa shake hands as Mohammed bin Salman looks on. Photo: Syrian Presidency
President Trump met Wednesday with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and urged him to sign a peace deal with Israel, the White House said in a statement.
Why it matters: The extraordinary meeting in Riyadh between Trump and al-Sharaa — who remains on the U.S. terrorist list due to his past ties with al-Qaeda — marks the first meeting between a U.S. and Syrian president in 25 years.
Driving the news: On Tuesday in a speech at an economic conference in Riyadh, Trump shocked the world when he announced he'd lift U.S. sanctions imposed on the Assad regime — which al-Sharaa and his fighters toppled last December — in order to "give a chance" to the new Syrian government.
- Trump's announcement was a dramatic shift in U.S. policy towards the new Syrian government.
- The sanctions crippled the Syrian economy and brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy, and would have made a serious rebuilding effort very difficult.
- The Biden administration eased some restrictions on Syria to ease the delivery of humanitarian aid after Assad's fall, but declined to lift sanctions.
Behind the scenes: The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa lasted 33 minutes, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also attending. Turkish President Erdogan joined the meeting remotely over the phone.
- The White House said Trump told al-Sharaa "he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country" after U.S. sanctions are lifted.
- Trump urged al-Sharaa to deport "foreign terrorists and Palestinian terrorists" from Syria, help the U.S. to prevent the resurgence of ISIS in the region and assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in Northeast Syria, the White House said.
- "President al-Sharaa thanked President Trump... and recognized the significant opportunity presented by the Iranians leaving Syria, as well as shared U.S.-Syrian interests in countering terrorism and eliminating chemical weapons," the White House said.
Zoom in: According to the White House, al-Sharaa also affirmed his commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel.
- After the collapse of the Assad regime, Israel violated the agreement and occupied the buffer zone between the countries and other areas in Syrian territory. Israel claimed it did so for security reasons.
- Al-Sharaa told Trump he wants Syria to serve as a trade link "between east and west" and invited U.S. companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas, the White House said.
What they're saying: Trump told reporters on Air Force One during his flight from Riyadh to Doha on Wednesday that the meeting with al-Sharaa was "great."
- "He is a young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter," Trump said of the Syrian president, who took part in the insurgency against U.S. troops as a member of al-Qaeda in Iraq, was imprisoned by the U.S. for five years, and later emerged as a key figure in the Syrian Civil War.
- Trump said he told al-Sharaa that after Syria gets "straightened out" it should join the Abraham Accords. "He said, 'Yes.' But they have a lot of work to do", Trump added.
Reality check: A Syrian-Israeli peace deal will be difficult thing to achieve considering decades of failed peace talks, the instability in Syria, the war in Gaza, and the Israeli occupation of parts of Syria.
Between the lines: Trump's meeting with al-Sharaa and his decision to lift the sanctions took place against Israeli requests, Israeli officials say.
- Trump said his team had been in touch with Israel about this decision. "We told them we're doing it," he said, and explained that MBS and Erdogan convinced him to do it to prevent the collapse of Syria.
