Washington: US President Donald Trump Received this Monday in The White House For Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaaon a visit that – until very recently – would have been unimaginable – that It represents a historic shift in relations between the two countries and marks the return of Syria to the international diplomatic arena. The Treasury Department announced, coinciding with the meeting, the temporary lifting of trade restrictions, paving the way for American and foreign investment in the reconstruction of Syria.
The policy change, detailed in an OFAC statement issued Monday, maintains sanctions against former President Bashar al-Assad, human rights violators and drug traffickers, but opens broad civil and commercial channels.
The meeting between the two leaders took place behind closed doors in the Oval Hall, after Damascus was annexed to Syria The US-led international coalition against ISIS.
Al-Sharaa, who years ago was an Islamic activist and an ally of the terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-BaghdadiHe arrived at the White House shortly before noon, entering through West Executive Avenue, an entrance reserved for private visits. After a two-hour meeting, the Syrian President greeted a crowd of supporters before leaving. This was the first official visit by a leader from Damascus to Washington since the country’s independence in 1946.
The meeting comes less than a year after opposition forces led by al-Sharaa ousted Bashar al-Assad, ending more than five decades of family rule. Washington has lifted most of the sanctions it imposed in recent months During that period, which opened the way for the normalization of relations.
White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said the meeting was part of the president’s “diplomatic efforts to meet with anyone in the world in pursuit of peace.” Trump, who described Shara as a “strong man with a troubled past,” changed his mind at a summit held in Saudi Arabia in May this year and asserted that “Syria is doing a very good job so far.”
The scene acquires special symbolism if we remember that six years ago, Trump celebrated the killing of Al-Baghdadi, who was killed by American forces in a night operation in the Syrian village of Barisha. The president said at the time: “He died like a dog,” in a phrase that spread around the world. Today, the man who was once accused of being a collaborator with the leader of the Islamic State and who adopted the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Julani, was received in Washington as a political partner.
The Sharaa group, which broke away from Al-Qaeda in 2013 and led the rebellion against Assad from Idlib province, has worked to project a moderate and pragmatic image. Under his leadership, the United States and the United Nations lifted sanctions imposed during decades of the Assad family’s dictatorship, and Damascus was invited to return to international forums.
According to American officials, Syria’s formal inclusion in the anti-ISIS coalition will allow for closer military cooperationAlthough Syrian forces were already operating alongside Kurdish militias and US forces in the northeast of the country. Last week, the UN Security Council voted to lift international sanctions, which was considered by the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz “An indication that Syria is entering a new era.”
During the meeting, Al-Sharaa called for the final lifting of US sanctionsEspecially the Caesar Act, which punishes commercial relations with the Syrian government. Although Trump temporarily suspended its application, its complete repeal depends on Congress.
Two proposals are being discussed in Congress: one promoted by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, which requires ending sanctions without conditions, and the other promoted by Republican Lindsey Graham, which requires conducting semi-annual reviews before lifting them completely. Analysts warn that continued sanctions, even partial ones, would deter investments needed to rebuild the country, which has been devastated by war after fourteen years.
The American President was optimistic: “A lot of progress has been made, and Syria deserves a second chance.”. But analysts warn that rebuilding the country, devastated by 14 years of war, will require more than $200 billion and a climate of stability that remains fragile.
In Idlib, where the white flag of the former Shara militia still flies, many Syrians prefer not to think about the past. After more than a decade of destruction, the streets are filled with merchants, workers and school children. “Humor has returned to Syria,” Kassir said with a laugh, recalling how, on that night in 2019, the American helicopter flew over his house a few meters away.
AP, Reuters and newspaper agencies New York Times
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