Syria’s al-Sharaa makes historic U.S. visit

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa will be in the United States for a landmark diplomatic visit on November 10th, as reported by France 24 via AFP. The visit marks a new phase in relations between Washington and Damascus after more than a decade of tensions and isolation.

The visit by Syria’s president follows Washington’s decision on November 7th to remove al-Sharaa from its terrorism blacklist, which is a symbolic step following the dramatic political transition in Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year.

Al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander who led forces that ousted Assad, is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

This will be the first official visit to Washington by a Syrian head of state since Syria gained independence in 1946. The two leaders previously met in Riyadh in May during Trump’s regional tour.

U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said earlier this month that Washington hopes the meeting will result in Syria’s formal participation in the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group. According to a diplomatic source, the United States also plans to establish a military base near Damascus to coordinate humanitarian assistance and monitor regional developments along the Syrian-Israeli border.

The delisting of al-Sharaa was widely anticipated after months of improving relations, such as the removal of U.S. sanctions on Syria. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the decision reflected “progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad and more than 50 years of repression under the Assad regime.”

Syrian authorities have also intensified domestic counterterrorism efforts. The interior ministry announced on November 8th that it had conducted 61 raids and made 71 arrests across key areas including Aleppo, Homs, and Raqqa in a campaign to dismantle remaining IS sleeper cells.

Since assuming power, al-Sharaa has sought to distance himself from his militant past. Once affiliated with Al-Qaeda, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was removed from the U.S. terrorist list in July. Al-Sharaa’s address to the UN General Assembly, the first by a Syrian leader in decades, was seen as part of his effort to reposition Syria on the global stage.

Al-Sharaa is expected to use his meetings in Washington to seek reconstruction funding for Syria, the World Bank estimated rebuilding costs at $216 billion.

France 24 via AFP, Maghrebi.org