On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump shook hands with Syria’s Islamist President in Saudi Arabia and urged him to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel.
The US president warmly greeted former al-Qaeda fighter Ahmed al-Sharaa in a historic meeting deemed unthinkable only a few months ago. Trump urged Sharaa to join the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, which normalised relations with Israel under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
After the meeting, Trump praised Sharaa, describing him as a young and attractive guy, adding that he’s a tough, strong, and real guy with a strong past.
Trump said the meeting with Sharaa was great
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said.
Who is Sharaa
Sharaa was for some years a leader of Al Qaeda’s official wing in the Syrian conflict. He first joined in Iraq, where he spent five years in a US Prison. The United States removed $10 million bounty on his head in December 2024.
The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December sparked celebrations across Syria, where the economy has been ravaged by 14 years of civil war and international isolation. But Sharaa still faces challenges in building the kind of peaceful, tolerant Syria he has promised.
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His ties to al-Qaeda date back to 2003, when he joined the insurgency after the US-led invasion of Iraq. He is reported to have helped al-Qaeda form an offshoot in Iraq that attacked both US forces and the country’s Shia majority, often using car and truck bombs. He was detained by the US and held for over five years without being charged.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Ahmed Sharaa
The group’s Iraqi leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, sent Sharaa to his native Syria in 2011 after a popular uprising led to a brutal crackdown and eventually a full-blown civil war. There, Sharaa established an al-Qaeda branch known as the Nusra Front.
The two insurgent leaders had a brutal falling out when Sharaa refused to join al-Baghdadi’s ISIS group and remained loyal to al-Qaeda’s central leadership. The Nusra Front later battled the ISIS group.
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He became Syria’s interim president in January after insurgent groups led by his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) stormed Damascus and deposed the Assad family after 54 years in power.
Trumps Visit in Qatar
After Trump’s meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, Trump then flew to Qatar, where he oversaw the signing of deals, including an order for 160 Boeing aircraft that he said was worth more than $200 billion.
The president’s four-day visit highlights the United States’ growing ties to the oil-rich region, where his real-estate company is also developing several projects.
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