In a groundbreaking diplomatic development, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in the United States for an unprecedented official visit, marking a significant thaw in previously frosty relations between the two nations.
Historic Arrival and Background
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa touched down on American soil on Saturday, embarking on what analysts describe as the first visit by a Syrian head of state to the United States since Syria gained independence in 1946. The visit comes immediately following Washington's decision to remove al-Sharaa from its terrorism blacklist on Friday, a move that had been widely anticipated by diplomatic observers.
The Syrian leader, whose rebel forces overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. This meeting follows their initial encounter in Riyadh during President Trump's regional tour in May, where the two leaders established preliminary diplomatic contact.
Diplomatic Thaw and Strategic Shifts
Washington's envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, revealed earlier this month that the United States hopes al-Sharaa will sign an agreement to join the international US-led alliance against the Islamic State (IS) group. This represents a dramatic shift in regional alliances and counter-terrorism strategy.
In a significant strategic development, the United States plans to establish a military base near Damascus to coordinate humanitarian aid and monitor developments between Syria and Israel, according to diplomatic sources in Syria who spoke with AFP.
President Trump expressed optimism about the new relationship with Syria, telling reporters days before al-Sharaa's visit that he had moved to lift sanctions from Syria to give them a fighting chance. The American president praised al-Sharaa's performance so far, noting that despite operating in a tough neighborhood, the Syrian leader is a tough guy with whom he had established good rapport.
Meeting US Demands and Security Cooperation
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed that al-Sharaa's government has been meeting US demands, including working to locate missing Americans and eliminating any remaining chemical weapons stockpiles. These actions recognize the progress demonstrated by Syrian leadership following the departure of Bashar al-Assad and more than fifty years of repression under the Assad regime.
The spokesman emphasized that the US delisting would promote regional security and stability while supporting an inclusive, Syrian-led political process. Meanwhile, the Syrian interior ministry announced on Saturday that it had conducted 61 raids and made 71 arrests in a proactive campaign to neutralize the IS threat, targeting sleeper cells in multiple regions including Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa and Damascus.
Remarkable Transformation and Future Prospects
Al-Sharaa's Washington visit follows his landmark trip to the United Nations in September, which marked his first time on US soil. During that visit, the former jihadist became the first Syrian president in decades to address the UN General Assembly in New York. On Thursday, Washington spearheaded a Security Council vote to lift UN sanctions against him.
This visit represents another milestone in al-Sharaa's extraordinary political transformation from militant leader to global statesman. Previously linked to Al-Qaeda, al-Sharaa's group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was removed from the US terrorist list as recently as July. Since assuming power, Syria's new leadership has actively worked to distance itself from its violent past, projecting a more moderate image to both Syrian citizens and the international community.
International Crisis Group US program director Michael Hanna described the White House visit as further testament to the US commitment to the new Syria and a hugely symbolic moment for the country's new leader, marking another step in his astonishing transformation.
During his visit, al-Sharaa is expected to seek financial support for Syria's reconstruction efforts, with the World Bank estimating rebuilding costs at a conservative $216 billion after 13 years of devastating civil war. The Syrian leader has already met with representatives from Syrian organizations in Washington, while a social media video showed him playing basketball with CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper and Kevin Lambert, head of the international anti-IS operation in Iraq, captioned work hard, play harder.
