President Donald Trump met briefly Wednesday with the interim president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa. The meeting follows Trump’s announcement in a speech Tuesday that the U.S. will lift sanctions on Syria, originally imposed to pressure the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Trump complimented Shara’a, saying that he is a “young, attractive guy—tough guy” who has a good chance at stabilizing the war-torn country. Trump also asked Sharaa to sign the Abraham Accords to normalize Syria’s relationship with Israel, deport terrorists living in the country, and cooperate with regional efforts against ISIS, according to a post on social media by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. In return, Sharaa invited American companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas resources.
The meeting is a major coup for Sharaa, who is working to rebuild Syria after his Turkish-backed militant force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad and ended the Syrian Civil War. Sharaa has been viewed with some skepticism by many in the West for his previous connections to Al Qaeda, but has pledged to respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities and establish a peaceful, democratic government.
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