United States and Syria have formalized on Monday in Washington the beginning of a new and strange era of bilateral relations. After decades marked by hostility, shadow war, and sanctions, President Donald Trump has today received in the Oval Office Ahmed al Sharaa, the Syrian president and former commander of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda. However, this was done in private, avoiding uncomfortable photos and videos -beyond an official photo, provided hours after the meeting- and without a joint appearance, something very rare, unprecedented in this Administration.
At the beginning of the century, Al Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al Jolani, spent years in various American prisons in Iraq, including Abu Ghraib. He was literally the textbook example of the targets of the war on terror. Upon his release from prison in 2011, he returned to combat alongside Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. But now, in a 180-degree turn ratified from the U.S. capital, he has formally signed his country's accession to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, after months of working hand in hand with the United States, including at least six joint operations or raids on the ground.
Until Trump's return, something like what was seen today would have been completely impossible and unthinkable, especially with Democratic administrations. On Sunday, a full-page ad paid for by a Jordanian think tank in the country's leading newspapers denounced the invitation to a terrorist, comparing him to Osama bin Laden. Al Sharaa was, in fact, until a few days ago on the list of international terrorists, holding a prominent position, and just a few months ago a $10 million bounty was offered for his head. On Thursday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution pushed by the United States to remove him and Anas Hasan Khattab, his Interior Minister, "in recognition of the demonstrated progress by the Syrian leadership following Bashar Assad's departure and over 50 years of repression." And on Friday, the State Department formally removed them.
Trump wants a drastic change in Middle East policies. He started in his first Administration with the Abraham Accords; in the second, he continued with a bombing in Iran, followed by pressure on Israel for a peace agreement on Gaza, and now he wants to redefine the position of Syria. Over the weekend, it was leaked that his government wants to have a military presence at an airbase near Damascus to support operations against ISIS. Just as he is negotiating with the Taliban to regain one of the bases built by his army during the past decade. And Trump continues to push for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by the Kurds, and the new Syrian army to merge, something that is proving difficult for obvious reasons after decades of dictatorship, repression, and sectarian hatred.
Today's meeting was full of symbolism. It is the first official visit of a Syrian head of state to Washington, but not their first encounter. In May, they met in Saudi Arabia, and in September, the Syrian spoke at the United Nations General Assembly, the first representative of his country to do so in 58 years. In the spring, Trump described Al Sharaa as a "handsome young man. A tough guy. A turbulent past. A fighter (...) I think he is doing an excellent job. It's a tough region, and he is a tough guy, but I got along very well with him. We lifted sanctions to give them a real chance," he said.
Shortly after, he signed an executive order lifting most of the U.S. sanctions against Syria. And in July, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation for HTS, also known as Jabhat al-Nusra, the Al Qaeda-affiliated group founded by Al Sharaa.
The Syrian delegation, which has been traveling the world in recent months, is desperately seeking resources. In a recent report, the World Bank conservatively estimated that the reconstruction of Syria after 13 years of civil war would cost $216 billion. They also want Washington to lift the remaining pending sanctions, known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, imposed for human rights violations by the Assad regime, but which can only be lifted if both houses of Congress vote in favor.
The Trump administration's offer is a six-month suspension of these sanctions while pressuring Congress to repeal them completely. According to sources cited by Al Arabiya, Syria will also be allowed to resume operations at its embassy in Washington from now on. "President Trump is fulfilling his commitment to give Syria 'an opportunity to achieve greatness', allowing it to rebuild and thrive by lifting U.S. sanctions and ensuring that harmful actors are held accountable. The U.S. government has adopted new policies and a regulatory framework to encourage American companies and banks, the international community, the Syrian people, and regional partners to contribute to Syria's stability while denying resources to harmful actors. To this end, the U.S. government will coordinate with the public and private sectors to provide guidance in support of these new policies," the statement issued by the Treasury Department points out.