WASHINGTON: Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in the United States for a landmark official visit, according to the country’s state news agency. This visit comes just a day after Washington removed him from its terrorism blacklist.
Sharaa, who rose to power after his rebel forces ousted long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. This marks the first visit by a Syrian president to the US since Syria gained independence in 1946, according to analysts.
Sharaa and Trump first met in May during the US president’s regional tour in Riyadh. US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, previously indicated that Sharaa would “hopefully” sign an agreement to join the international, US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group.
The United States also plans to establish a military base near Damascus to coordinate humanitarian aid and monitor developments between Syria and Israel, according to a diplomatic source in Syria.
The US State Department’s decision to remove Sharaa from the terrorism blacklist, announced on Friday, had been widely anticipated. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stated that the Syrian leadership, under Sharaa, had met key US demands, including efforts to find missing Americans and eliminate remaining chemical weapons.
“These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad and more than 50 years of repression under the Assad regime,” Pigott said. He also added that the delisting would promote “regional security and stability” and support a Syrian-led political process.
In a related development, the Syrian interior ministry announced on Saturday that it had carried out 61 raids and made 71 arrests in a campaign aimed at neutralizing the threat posed by IS. These raids targeted IS sleeper cells in areas including Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Damascus.
Upon his arrival in the US, Sharaa shared a video on social media showing himself playing basketball with CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper and Kevin Lambert, head of the international anti-IS operation in Iraq, with the caption “work hard, play harder.”
Earlier this week, Washington led a vote at the UN Security Council to lift sanctions against Sharaa. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda, was removed from the US terrorism list in July.
Syria’s new leadership has been working to distance itself from its violent past and present a more moderate image to both the Syrian public and the international community.
The White House visit is seen as a significant milestone in Syria’s transformation, symbolizing a shift from its militant past to a more diplomatic and global presence. International Crisis Group US program director Michael Hanna called the visit “a hugely symbolic moment” for Sharaa, marking his transformation from militant leader to a global statesman.
