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Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Is Trump initiating a reset in West Asia?
Written by Feisal Amin al-Istrabadi It seemed like the rerun of a film first released eight years ago. Less than four months into his first term, Donald J Trump made his first major international visit to Riyadh. There were, however, substantive differences. In 2017, the trip was a precursor to what became a US-supported quarantine of Qatar, an attempt by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to punish Qatar for its cordial relations with Iran and for supporting Ahmed al-Sharaa's Nusra Front jihadists in Syria. This time, he visited Qatar and the UAE, after meeting with Sharaa, the new Syrian president, in Riyadh. What a difference eight years make. And eight years ago, Trump travelled to Israel. Not this time. The three states Trump visited play a vital role in sustaining global energy markets at stable prices. In return, Trump gave them his silence on their record of human rights abuses. That will remain so long as they purchase US arms and invest in America, though the trillions Trump touts will remain elusive. Similar astronomical pledges made in 2017 never materialised. What matters to Trump, however, is not how much they actually invest but what he can claim. Iran was on Trump's mind — that has not changed. In his first term, however, Trump denounced Barack Obama's nuclear agreement for its failure to curtail Iran's malign activities across the region. But now, as his administration began negotiating with Iran officially through Qatar, he has reduced his demand to one: That Iran should not produce a nuclear bomb. This is a tectonic shift that may well yield results. Of course, Iran's regional strategic posture today is very different from 2017. Two of its allies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, are still fighting, but Israel has substantially degraded them. Their respective leaderships lie decimated. In addition, Iran sustained its most severe blow in the loss of Syria. Its long-term ally, Bashar al-Assad, fled to Moscow as his forces underwent a Blitzkrieg-like collapse, allowing Sharaa to capture Damascus. Moreover, armed attacks between Iran and Israel — the first time they have fired on each other directly — demonstrated Iran's vulnerabilities. This was the region Trump inherited. Recently, in response to provocations in the Red Sea, Trump ordered strikes on another of Iran's regional allies, the Houthis in Yemen. That led to a ceasefire between the two sides, one that has held. Trump has also been pressuring Iraq to dissolve the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. While it remains to be seen whether the Iraqis have the strength to do so, the militias remain Iran's last line of diminished defence outside Iran itself. Iran is thus reeling from a series of defeats and is now at its weakest point since the ceasefire ending the Iran–Iraq war in 1988. From an American perspective, the time seems ideal for negotiations. Most intelligence services believe that Iran has mastered the nuclear cycle and is already a nuclear threshold state, but there is no real evidence that it is actually building a nuclear bomb. It may realise that there is very little benefit that the possession of an actual bomb adds. If that is true, Iran may well be willing to freeze its nuclear programme in its current state. For Trump's part, the return of Iranian oil to global markets would constitute a measurable downward pressure on oil prices — a congenial consideration for Trump and the US economy. This time, Trump may well succeed in entering into an improved nuclear agreement with Iran, something that was elusive once he withdrew from the previous one in 2018. Unlike in 2017, Israel was not on the itinerary in 2025 — surprising for a US president. There is talk of Trump's frustration with Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been relentless in deliberately targeting Palestinian civilians in Gaza and blocking humanitarian relief. All this has proven embarrassing to Israel's partners in the Arab world, even freezing Saudi Arabia's normalisation with Israel. He may well think Saudi–Israeli normalisation will achieve this dream. It is unlikely he will do it, but he could secure a unique legacy by reversing Joe Biden's veto of Palestinian statehood and admission into the United Nations. Trump will not be facing an American electorate again and has nothing to lose by taking this dramatic step. And he could thereby give cover to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, who earlier this year stated the Kingdom will not normalise relations until Palestinians achieve statehood. The new Syrian leadership, as well as other Arab states, might well then join in the normalisation process. That would allow Trump to secure a lasting legacy in the region and on the world stage. The writer is the Michael A and Laurie Burns McRobbie Professor in Global Strategic Studies and is Professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, where he is the Founding Director of the Centre for the Study of the Middle East. He was Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations from 2004–2010
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Syria's leader rose from al-Qaeda to a meeting with President Trump
Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa has transformed himself from al Qaeda militant to Syrian president in a dramatic political rise capped on May 13 by a meeting with President Donald Trump. The encounter in Saudi Arabia is a milestone for a man who joined al Qaeda in Iraq around the time of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and spent years in U.S. prison there before returning to Syria to join the insurgency against Bashar al-Assad. The meeting - following Trump's announcement of an end to U.S. sanctions on Syria - is a huge boost for Sharaa as he tries to bring the fractured country under his control and revive its economy, and Trump said he was looking to normalise ties with Damascus. "He's got the potential - he's a real leader," Trump told reporters on Air Force One after meeting Sharaa, whom he described as a young, attractive guy with a very strong past. More: Trump will end Syria sanctions to 'give them a chance at greatness' "He's got a real shot at holding it together," Trump said. Sharaa took power after his Islamist fighters launched an offensive from their enclave in the northwest in 2024 and toppled Assad, whose allies Russia and Iran were distracted by other wars. He was long better known as Abu Mohammad al-Golani, his nom de guerre as commander of the Nusra Front, an insurgent group fighting Assad and for years al Qaeda's official wing in the conflict. He cut ties with al Qaeda in 2016, gradually recasting his group as part of the Syrian revolution rather than global jihad. Sharaa swapped combat fatigues for suits and ties after entering Damascus as Syria's de facto ruler in December 2024, promising to replace Assad's brutal police state with an inclusive and just order. He cited priorities including reuniting Syria, reviving an economy choked by sanctions and bringing arms under state authority. His administration won significant backing from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. More: Trump denies talking golf, real estate in Saudi meetings But he has struggled to meet his aims as armed groups kept their weapons, sanctions remained and sectarian killings left minority groups afraid of his rule. Israel, alleging Sharaa remains a jihadist, has declared south Syria off limits to his forces. It said a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus on May 2 was a warning that it would not let Syrian forces deploy south of the capital or allow any threat to Syria's Druze minority. The challenges were demonstrated in March when Assad loyalists attacked government forces in the coastal region, prompting a wave of revenge killing in which Islamist gunmen killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority, from which Assad hailed. It amplified fears about the jihadist roots of Syria's new ruling group despite Sharaa's promises of tolerance and accountability for the killings. Fears of a slide back towards authoritarian rule were hardened by a temporary constitution focusing power in his hands. Sharaa characterised Assad's defeat as a God-given victory. He sidestepped interviewers' questions on whether he thought Syria should apply Islamic sharia law, saying it was for experts to decide. The temporary constitution strengthened its role. He cited revolutionary legitimacy for his designation as interim president. He has said elections will take place, but that Syria needs up to five years to organise them properly. In a Reuters interview at the presidential palace, Sharaa underlined his intention to turn the page on Assad's rule. "My chest tightens in this palace. I'm astonished by how much evil against society emanated from every corner," he said. Sharaa was born in Saudi Arabia, where he spent the first years of his life before moving to Syria. His father was an Arab nationalist, an ideology at odds with Sharaa's political Islam. In a 2021 interview with PBS' Frontline, Sharaa said he was influenced by the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising against Israeli occupation, which began in 2000. He returned to Syria from Iraq once the uprising began, sent by the leader of the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State group in Iraq at the time, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, to build up al Qaeda's presence. The U.S. designated Sharaa a terrorist in 2013, saying al Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad's rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in Syria. It said the Nusra Front had carried out suicide attacks that killed civilians and espoused a violent sectarian vision. Sharaa gave his first media interview in 2013, his face wrapped in a scarf with his back to the camera. He told Al Jazeera Syria should be run according to sharia law. In his 2021 FRONTLINE interview, he faced the camera in a shirt and jacket. He said the terrorist designation was unfair and that he opposed the killing of innocent people. Asked about his views on the September 11 attacks at the time they happened, Sharaa said anybody in the Arab or Islamic world who said "he wasn't happy would be lying to you, because people felt the injustice of the Americans in their support of the Zionists, their policies towards Muslims in general, and their clear and strong support of the tyrants in the region." "But people regret the killing of innocent people, for sure," he said. The Nusra Front had never presented a threat to the West, he said. Despite its al Qaeda ties, Nusra was regarded as relatively less heavy handed in dealings with civilians and other rebel groups than the Islamic State. Trump told reporters Sharaa said he would be willing to eventually join the Abraham Accords, a U.S.-brokered 2020 agreement that saw the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalize relations with Israel. Syrian officials have signaled an openness to normalize under the right circumstances. "I told him, 'I hope you're going to join when it's straightened out.' He said, 'Yes.' But they have a lot of work to do," Trump said, according to a White House pool report. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Syria's leader rose from al-Qaeda to meeting with Trump
The Herald Scotland
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
How Syria's leader rose from al-Qaeda militant to a meeting with Trump
The meeting - following Trump's announcement of an end to U.S. sanctions on Syria - is a huge boost for Sharaa as he tries to bring the fractured country under his control and revive its economy, and Trump said he was looking to normalise ties with Damascus. "He's got the potential - he's a real leader," Trump told reporters on Air Force One after meeting Sharaa, whom he described as a young, attractive guy with a very strong past. More: Trump will end Syria sanctions to 'give them a chance at greatness' "He's got a real shot at holding it together," Trump said. Sharaa took power after his Islamist fighters launched an offensive from their enclave in the northwest in 2024 and toppled Assad, whose allies Russia and Iran were distracted by other wars. He was long better known as Abu Mohammad al-Golani, his nom de guerre as commander of the Nusra Front, an insurgent group fighting Assad and for years al Qaeda's official wing in the conflict. He cut ties with al Qaeda in 2016, gradually recasting his group as part of the Syrian revolution rather than global jihad. Sharaa swapped combat fatigues for suits and ties after entering Damascus as Syria's de facto ruler in December 2024, promising to replace Assad's brutal police state with an inclusive and just order. He cited priorities including reuniting Syria, reviving an economy choked by sanctions and bringing arms under state authority. His administration won significant backing from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But he has struggled to meet his aims as armed groups kept their weapons, sanctions remained and sectarian killings left minority groups afraid of his rule. Israel, alleging Sharaa remains a jihadist, has declared south Syria off limits to his forces. It said a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus on May 2 was a warning that it would not let Syrian forces deploy south of the capital or allow any threat to Syria's Druze minority. The challenges were demonstrated in March when Assad loyalists attacked government forces in the coastal region, prompting a wave of revenge killing in which Islamist gunmen killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority, from which Assad hailed. It amplified fears about the jihadist roots of Syria's new ruling group despite Sharaa's promises of tolerance and accountability for the killings. Fears of a slide back towards authoritarian rule were hardened by a temporary constitution focusing power in his hands. Sharia law in Syria? Sharaa characterised Assad's defeat as a God-given victory. He sidestepped interviewers' questions on whether he thought Syria should apply Islamic sharia law, saying it was for experts to decide. The temporary constitution strengthened its role. He cited revolutionary legitimacy for his designation as interim president. He has said elections will take place, but that Syria needs up to five years to organise them properly. In a Reuters interview at the presidential palace, Sharaa underlined his intention to turn the page on Assad's rule. "My chest tightens in this palace. I'm astonished by how much evil against society emanated from every corner," he said. Sharaa was born in Saudi Arabia, where he spent the first years of his life before moving to Syria. His father was an Arab nationalist, an ideology at odds with Sharaa's political Islam. In a 2021 interview with PBS' Frontline, Sharaa said he was influenced by the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising against Israeli occupation, which began in 2000. He returned to Syria from Iraq once the uprising began, sent by the leader of the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State group in Iraq at the time, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, to build up al Qaeda's presence. Suicide bombers The U.S. designated Sharaa a terrorist in 2013, saying al Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad's rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in Syria. It said the Nusra Front had carried out suicide attacks that killed civilians and espoused a violent sectarian vision. Sharaa gave his first media interview in 2013, his face wrapped in a scarf with his back to the camera. He told Al Jazeera Syria should be run according to sharia law. In his 2021 FRONTLINE interview, he faced the camera in a shirt and jacket. He said the terrorist designation was unfair and that he opposed the killing of innocent people. Asked about his views on the September 11 attacks at the time they happened, Sharaa said anybody in the Arab or Islamic world who said "he wasn't happy would be lying to you, because people felt the injustice of the Americans in their support of the Zionists, their policies towards Muslims in general, and their clear and strong support of the tyrants in the region." "But people regret the killing of innocent people, for sure," he said. The Nusra Front had never presented a threat to the West, he said. Despite its al Qaeda ties, Nusra was regarded as relatively less heavy handed in dealings with civilians and other rebel groups than the Islamic State.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump heaps praise on Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa as he lifts sanctions
Donald Trump met with syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda fighter, marking the first meeting between US and syrian leaders in 25 years. Trump praised al-Sharaa, lifted US sanctions on Syria, and encouraged normalized relations with Israel. Al-Sharaa became Syria's interim president after his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), ousted the Assad regime. Al-Sharaa's past includes fighting US forces in Iraq and leading the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria. Despite his past, al-Sharaa has pledged an inclusive government and distanced himself from al-Qaeda.
Japan Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Syrian leader's path from global jihad to meeting Trump
Syria's Ahmad al-Sharaa has transformed himself from al-Qaida militant to Syrian president in a dramatic political rise capped on Wednesday by a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The encounter in Saudi Arabia is a milestone for a man who joined al-Qaida in Iraq around the time of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and spent years in U.S. prison there before returning to Syria to join the insurgency against Bashar Assad. The meeting — following Trump's announcement of an end to U.S. sanctions on Syria — is a huge boost for al-Sharaa as he tries to bring the fractured country under his control and revive its economy, and Trump said he was looking to normalize ties with Damascus. "He's got the potential — he's a real leader," Trump told reporters on Air Force One after meeting al-Sharaa, whom he described as a young, attractive guy with a very strong past. "He's got a real shot at holding it together," Trump said. Syria's new leader took power after his Islamist fighters launched an offensive from their enclave in the northwest in 2024 and toppled Assad, whose allies Russia and Iran were distracted by other wars. He was long better known as Abu Mohammad al-Golani, his nom de guerre as commander of the Nusra Front, an insurgent group fighting Assad and for years al-Qaida's official wing in the conflict. Al-Sharaa speaks during a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 7. | REUTERS He cut ties with al-Qaida in 2016, gradually recasting his group as part of the Syrian revolution rather than global jihad. Swapping combat fatigues for suits and ties after entering Damascus as Syria's de facto ruler in December 2024, al-Sharaa promised to replace Assad's brutal police state with an inclusive and just order. He cited priorities including reuniting Syria, reviving an economy choked by sanctions and bringing arms under state authority. His administration won significant backing from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But he has struggled to meet his aims as armed groups kept their weapons, sanctions remained and sectarian killings left minority groups afraid of his rule. Israel, alleging al-Sharaa remains a jihadist, has declared southern Syria off limits to his forces. It said a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus on May 2 was a warning that it would not let Syrian forces deploy south of the capital or allow any threat to Syria's Druze minority. The challenges were demonstrated in March when Assad loyalists attacked government forces in the coastal region, prompting a wave of revenge killing in which Islamist gunmen killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority, from which Assad hailed. It amplified fears about the jihadist roots of Syria's new ruling group despite al-Sharaa's promises of tolerance and accountability for the killings. Fears of a slide back toward authoritarian rule were hardened by a temporary constitution focusing power in his hands. Syria's new leader characterized Assad's defeat as a God-given victory. He sidestepped interviewers' questions on whether he thought Syria should apply Islamic sharia law, saying it was for experts to decide. The temporary constitution strengthened its role. He cited revolutionary legitimacy for his designation as interim president. He has said elections will take place, but that Syria needs up to five years to organize them properly. In an interview at the presidential palace, al-Sharaa underlined his intention to turn the page on Assad's rule. "My chest tightens in this palace. I'm astonished by how much evil against society emanated from every corner," he said. Born in Saudi Arabia, al-Sharaa spent the first years of his life there before moving to Syria. His father was an Arab nationalist, an ideology at odds with his own political Islam. In a 2021 interview with the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service's "FRONTLINE" program, al-Sharaa said he was influenced by the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising against Israeli occupation, which began in 2000. He returned to Syria from Iraq once the uprising began, sent by the leader of the al-Qaida-affiliated Islamic State group in Iraq at the time, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, to build up al-Qaida's presence. The U.S. designated al-Sharaa a terrorist in 2013, saying al-Qaida in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad's rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in Syria. It said the Nusra Front had carried out suicide attacks that killed civilians and espoused a violent sectarian vision. Macron (left) and al-Sharaa greet each other after a joint news conference in Paris on May 7. | AFP-JIJI Al-Sharaa gave his first media interview in 2013, his face wrapped in a scarf and showing his back to the camera. He told Al Jazeera that Syria should be run according to sharia law. In his 2021 "FRONTLINE" interview, he faced the camera in a shirt and jacket. He said the terrorist designation was unfair and that he opposed the killing of innocent people. Asked about his views on the Sept. 11 attacks at the time they happened, al-Sharaa said anybody in the Arab or Islamic world who said "he wasn't happy would be lying to you, because people felt the injustice of the Americans in their support of the Zionists, their policies towards Muslims in general, and their clear and strong support of the tyrants in the region." "But people regret the killing of innocent people, for sure," he said. The Nusra Front had never presented a threat to the West, he said. Despite its al-Qaida ties, Nusra was regarded as relatively less heavy-handed in dealings with civilians and other rebel groups than the Islamic State group.
