Donald Trump hails former terrorist warlord as ‘a young, attractive guy'
DONALD Trump yesterday hailed a former terrorist warlord as 'a young, attractive guy'.
The maverick US President gushed with praise after meeting Ahmed al-Sharaa, who ousted Syrian tyrant Bashar al Assad last year.
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US President Donald Trump is greeted by Qatar's Emir Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh
Credit: Reuters
Trump also agreed to lift US economic sanctions on Syria which have been in place since 2011.
Sharaa, previously linked to al-Qaeda, spent years in US custody after being captured in Iraq and once had a £7.5million bounty on his head.
Now interim Syrian president, he shook hands yesterday with Trump in Riyadh, along with Saudi Arabia's leader, Crown Prince
Turkish President
He described Sharaa as a 'young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.'
But it puts Trump at odds with Israel, which issued warnings against the former terror master and has continued military action against its long-standing enemy.
Asked if Sharaa can normalise relations with Israel, Trump said: 'I told him, 'I hope you're going to join once you're straightened out and he said yes'. But they have a lot of work to do.'
Trump also asked him to deport
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He also claimed he 'wants to make a deal' with Iran.
Trump said: 'It must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons.'
He later touched down in
Trump is to be controversially offered a 'gift' of a £300million 'flying palace' to replace Air Force One as he carves more huge trade deals.
Reaper drones, Patriot missiles and F-35 fighter jets…what is set to be in Trump's $142bn Saudi arms deal war chest
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