President Donald Trump spoke favorably about his recent meeting with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharraa.
While aboard Air Force One en route to Qatar from Saudi Arabia, Trump was asked how he recognized Alshara during a meeting with Prince Mohamed bin Salman in Riyadh.
“Great… young, attractive man, tough guy, strong past, very strong past – fighter. But he has a real shot to put it together,” Trump remarked.
As noted by John Hayward from Breitbart News, Al-Shara is a former leader affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State who rose to power in December after defeating dictator Bashar Assad and leading the rebels.
He was officially appointed president in January.
On Tuesday, Trump had also revealed that he had lifted sanctions against Syria, pointing to significant developments in the region.
According to White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached out, and both he and bin Salman praised Trump’s decision to lift the sanctions.
“President Trump thanked President Erdogan and the Crown Prince for their friendship and told President Alshara that he has a great opportunity to do something historic in his country,” Leavitt shared in a post.
Leavitt mentioned that Trump invited Alshara to join the Abraham Accords, urging him to distance Syria from foreign terrorist influences. He emphasized the need to “regress the Palestinian terrorists, prevent the revival of ISIS,” and encouraged them to take on the responsibility for managing the ISIS detention center in northeastern Syria.
Alshara expressed gratitude towards everyone involved in the meeting, according to Leavitt.
President Alshara thanked President Trump, the Crown Prince, and Erdogan for facilitating the meeting. He recognized the significant opportunities that arise from Iranians leaving Syria and underscored the Syrian interest in combating terrorism and eliminating chemical weapons.
He also expressed a wish for Syria to become a key player in global trade.
“President Alshara concluded with the hope that Syria will serve as an important link in promoting trade between the East and West and invited American companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas,” Leavitt noted.
