President Donald Trump hosted Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, marking the first visit by a Syrian head of state to the White House since Syria gained independence from France in 1946. The visit occurred following the lifting of U.S. sanctions previously imposed on Syria.
Background on President al-Sharaa
Ahmad al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that removed former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December and was named Syria's interim leader in January. Prior to this, al-Sharaa had been associated with al-Qaida and was subject to a $10 million U.S. bounty.
The two leaders previously met in May in Saudi Arabia, which constituted the first official encounter between the U.S. and Syria since former President Bill Clinton met with Hafez Assad in 2000. During their initial meeting, President Trump described al-Sharaa as "a young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past, very strong past. Fighter."
U.S. Stance and Engagement
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Monday's visit is "part of the president's efforts in diplomacy to meet with anyone around the world in the pursuit of peace." President Trump has also publicly commented on al-Sharaa's performance, stating that he is "doing a very good job so far" and that "a lot of progress has been made with Syria" since U.S. sanctions were eased.
Syria's participation in a U.S.-led global coalition against the Islamic State group is expected to facilitate closer collaboration with U.S. forces. Previously, the new Syrian military and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria had already been engaged in combating the group.
Sanctions and International Developments
Before al-Sharaa's arrival in the U.S., the United Nations Security Council voted to lift sanctions on the Syrian president and other government officials. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, characterized this action as a significant indication of a new era for Syria following the removal of Assad.
President al-Sharaa's agenda for the meeting includes advocating for a permanent repeal of sanctions. These sanctions, including the Caesar Act, were initially implemented in response to allegations of human rights abuses by the Assad government. While the Caesar Act sanctions are currently waived by presidential order, a permanent repeal requires congressional action.
Congressional Proposals and Advocacy
Two proposals regarding sanctions repeal have emerged in Congress:
- Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): A proposal to end sanctions without specific conditions.
- Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC): A proposal to establish conditions for sanctions repeal, subject to review every six months.
Advocates, such as Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, contend that conditional repeals could deter companies from investing in Syria due to ongoing concerns about potential future sanctions. Moustafa described this as a "hanging shadow that paralyzes any initiatives for our country."