U.S. President Donald Trump on the 10th invited Syria President Ahmed al-Shara, the former leader of an al-Qaida-linked group, to the White House. Since Syria gained independence from France in 1946, it is the first time in history that a Syrian head of state has been invited to the Oval Office.
Until just before the Trump administration removed him from the terrorist list a year ago and withdrew a $10 million (about 14.7 billion won) bounty, President al-Shara was an "al-Qaida jihadist" with a record of being detained by U.S. forces. Experts said the dramatic meeting was underpinned by a complex equation of defeating ISIS (Islamic State), checking Iran, and rebuilding Syria.
Al-Shara was born in 1982. He was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but his family for generations lived on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. His real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Shara. Just before the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, he dropped out of college, went to Iraq, and joined al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI). He then waged so-called "jihad (holy war)" against U.S. forces and was captured by them in 2006. Until 2011, he also served time in U.S. detention facilities such as the notorious Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca.
Released in 2011, he returned to Syria. Coincidentally, his release came as the Arab Spring swept Syria. Al-Shara founded the Nusra Front, effectively al-Qaida's Syria branch, and led the Syrian civil war.
Al-Shara was closer to a cold realist than a mere ideologue. Instead of jihad against the West or indiscriminate terror, he focused on the domestic Syrian issue of "toppling the Assad dictatorship that had lasted 53 years." In 2013 he broke with the notoriously brutal IS (Islamic State), and in 2016 he formally severed ties with al-Qaida's central leadership.
He then set up his own organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Until last year, Syria had been carved up by the Assad dictatorship into the Assad-controlled territory around the capital, the rebel and Turkish spheres of influence, and an HTS mini-state led by al-Shara. In Dec. last year he seized the capital, Damascus, and toppled the Assad dictatorship that had lasted 53 years. In Jan. this year he became president of the Syrian transitional government.
Since then, his moves have changed so dramatically that it is hard to believe he was once a jihadist. Al-Shara gave interviews to Western media in fluent English and met heads of state in crisp bespoke suits. He is shedding his terrorist image and instead building an image as a pragmatist and national leader. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) said Western diplomats call him a "pragmatist." In philosophy, a pragmatist is someone who adheres to pragmatism and values practical results and utility over theory.
Trump also called al-Shara a "strong leader, a tough guy" after the talks and said, "I like him." He even praised his al-Qaida background as evidence of "toughness," saying, "We all have rough pasts."
At the meeting, the United States announced a 180-day waiver of secondary sanctions under the Caesar Act, which restricts transactions with the Syrian government and financial institutions. Syria, immediately after the talks with Trump, said it would cooperate in the U.S.-led international coalition's campaign to root out the extremist militant group IS (Islamic State).
The United States and Syria share common enemies in IS and Iran. Al-Shara had fought IS since the HTS days. In 2019, the U.S. raid that killed IS leader al-Baghdadi took place near al-Shara's base. According to a senior Syrian official, IS tried at least twice in recent months to assassinate al-Shara.
Iran, the Shiite standard-bearer, is also an enemy to al-Shara. He believes Iran backed the Assad dictatorship by supporting forces like Hezbollah. That aligns with the Trump administration's view of Iran as the greatest threat in the Middle East and its policy of maximum pressure.
Cooperation with Syria is also essential for Israel's security and Middle East peace plans. Syria borders Israel along the Golan Heights. Following the collapse of the Assad regime, the Trump administration is mediating a new security agreement between Israel and the al-Shara government. This is a key card underpinning Trump's Gaza peace plan and the expansion of the Abraham Accords (a plan to normalize relations among Middle Eastern countries).
As much as the United States needs Syria, Syria desperately needs U.S. help. Syria has been reduced to ruins by 14 years of civil war. The World Bank (WB) estimates Syria will need at least $200 billion (about 260 trillion won) and as much as $345 billion for reconstruction. But Syria is bound by the Caesar Act, the international sanctions led by the United States. The Caesar Act was enacted in 2019 over the Assad regime's torture and massacres of civilians. It imposes sanctions (a secondary boycott) on all corporations and individuals worldwide that have transactions with the Central Bank of Syria or engage in reconstruction sectors such as energy and construction. As long as this law exists, no international organization or corporations can invest in Syria's reconstruction projects.
For now, the Trump administration responded at this meeting with a temporary measure: an additional 180-day waiver of Caesar Act sanctions. But experts warned that if al-Shara cannot show the public tangible results in economic recovery, Syria could again fall into turmoil and become fertile ground for new extremism.
Some experts, setting aside the White House's hospitality and the praise of pragmatism, pointed to al-Shara's dark past. They suspect he is engaging in "calculated acting" to lift sanctions and cement his power.
The Washington Institute said in an interview with the Council on Foreign Relations that "it is true al-Shara is an incredibly problematic figure, but he is better than the Assad dictatorship," while adding, "Behind his moderate approach lies clearly calculated behavior aimed at lifting sanctions and gaining international recognition." It also added, "We cannot rule out the possibility that, once he consolidates power, he will introduce a stricter system of Islamic exclusivism."
Controversy also flared over the fact that the "new Syria" he envisions is far from democratic. Immediately after taking power, al-Shara abolished the prime minister's post and announced a provisional "super-presidential" constitution that concentrates all power in the president. Concerns have since emerged that he is reorganizing power around the military rather than civilians.
The Atlantic Council analyzed the biggest outcome of al-Shara's visit to the United States and talks as "securing legitimacy," not an economic or military agreement. The fact that a former al-Qaida leader entered the White House at the invitation of the U.S. president means he succeeded in solidifying his governing base by overcoming domestic and international opposition.