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Just a week ago, the United States officially recognized Syria's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as a “specially designated global terrorist.”
Now, he's shaking hands and smiling in the Oval Office.
@cnn Less than a year after his lightning power grab, Syria's president Ahmed Al-Sharaa is capping his transformation from jihadist to global statesman in a historic visit to the White House that says as much about the young leader as it does his push for his country's diplomatic reinvention. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.
On Monday, Ahmed al-Sharaa became the first Syrian president to cross the threshold of the West Wing, a feat that is noteworthy in and of itself, but becomes even more so when we remember that Sharaa only recently had a $10m bounty on his head; with the US only lifting it in December 2024.
A shocking meeting
Sharaa's meeting with Trump in the White House may be the most astonishing meeting ever hosted at the White House.
Remember, Sharaa was so captivated by 9/11 that he copied Osama bin Laden's look, pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and led a militia that used suicide bombers to wage jihad in Syria and Iraq.
Now he's standing in the White House.
A shady entrance
The route that Sharaa took to enter the White House spoke volumes about how the administration feels about the meetings.
Hiden from the media and television cameras, Sharaa entered the building through West Executive Avenue, rather than being driven to the front door of the West Wing as is customary for the arrival of world leaders.
Sharaa left the White House about two hours later and was greeted by a mob of supporters.
Not the first meeting
Trump and Sharaa first met in May at a summit in Saudi Arabia. At the time, Trump called the (former?) jihadist a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past, very strong past. Fighter.”
Interesting wording for someone labelled a “global terrorist” by the… United States.
After the meeting at the Oval Office, Trump claimed Sharaa is a “very strong leader”.
“He comes from a very tough place, and he's a tough guy. I liked him. I get along with him… the new president of Syria, and we'll do everything we can to make Syria successful.”
Trump may have chosen to give Sharaa the benefit of the doubt, but experts are hesitant.
“It's a colossal gamble. He could be a valuable ally. He could be the devil incarnate.” Said a former Western diplomat who served in the Middle East.
Sharaa‘s shift
Over the last five years, Sharaa has shifted his views slightly, going from a hardline Islamist who banned Christmas and persecuted minorities to a president who apologized to Christian clergymen and worked to return stolen property to religious minorities.
At the request of the Turkish government, Sharaa reportedly began cooperating with intelligence agencies around the world, including the CIA and MI6, among others.
Additionally, at the request of Western countries, Sharaa detained wanted jihadists connected to Europe, and even reportedly assisted in the operation that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Experts warn that Sharaa is almost certainly acting in his own interests, not Washington's, but for now, Syria's president may be an unlikely ally – and in a country whose trade deals have fallen in pieces at their feet, Trump seems to think Sharaa is worth the risk.
