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New York Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump Meets Syria's Leader After Vowing to Lift Sanctions on Ravaged Nation
President Trump, swiftly dismantling decades of U.S. government policy that treated Syria like a pariah, held an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday with its president, Ahmed al-Shara, the former leader of a rebel group designated as a terrorist organization by the American government. The meeting, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the urging of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, occurred a day after Mr. Trump announced that he was lifting sweeping sanctions against Syria, which Washington began imposing in 1979. Mr. Trump, who has been known to assess people according to how they look, suggested that Mr. al-Shara, a rugged figure with a thick black beard who toppled the brutal Assad dynasty in December, had made a favorable impression. 'Young, attractive guy,' Mr. Trump described him to the news media. 'Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.' 'He's got a real shot at pulling it together,' Mr. Trump said of Syria, adding, 'It's a torn-up country.' The last meeting between the leaders of both countries occurred 25 years ago. Mr. Trump spoke as he flew to Qatar, the second stop on his four-day, three-nation Middle East tour that will take him next to the United Arab Emirates. The Qataris, like the Saudis, greeted Mr. Trump with pomp, including an honor guard mounted on camels for his presidential motorcade. Much of the trip is focused on business deals, including the $142 billion sale of armaments to Saudi Arabia and an agreement to sell 160 Boeing passenger aircraft to Qatar. The White House said on Tuesday that the president had secured $600 billion in deals with the Saudi government and firms. But the details were vague, and some of the deals announced as new had already been in the works. Even as Mr. Trump trumpeted the deals, several issues — the violence plaguing the Middle East, including the war in Gaza; the unstable situation in Syria; and a possible deal with Iran over its nuclear weapon development program — were lurking in the background. The lifting of sanctions would be a lifeline for Syria. After nearly 14 years of civil war, the country is physically and economically devastated, and harsh sanctions were imposed after the former president, Bashar al-Assad, carried out a violent crackdown against a democratic uprising in 2011. That led to a civil war that killed more than 600,000 people and displaced about 13 million, according to United Nations estimates. The sanctions had blocked most aid, including that needed for reconstruction. 'The sanctions were really crippling,' Mr. Trump said in remarks to Arab Gulf leaders who had gathered to meet with him on Wednesday. He was working to normalize relations with Syria, he said, adding, 'I feel very strongly that this would give them a chance.' Both Prince Mohammed and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which backed the insurgency that brought Mr. al-Shara to power, had urged Mr. Trump to lift the sanctions. Mr. Erdogan, who joined the 30-minute meeting with the Syrian leader by phone, and the Saudi crown prince, who attended in person, praised the decision. Prince Mohammad called it 'courageous,' according to a summary provided by the White House. Mr. Trump told Mr. al-Shara that 'he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country,' according to the summary issued by the White House press secretary. The president also urged Mr. al-Shara to take steps to normalize Syria's relations with Israel, which have long been hostile, and to tell 'all foreign terrorists to leave' the country, the summary said. In Riyadh, the Saudi capital, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said at a news conference later on Wednesday that Syria's 'many opportunities, capabilities and resources' were 'one of the most important points of discussion' at the meeting. 'It has resources, and, more importantly, it has a capable people: an educated, knowledgeable population that is eager to move Syria into a new phase,' he said. The U.S. mechanism for lifting the sanctions on Syria was not immediately clear, since some of them were imposed by Congress. Still, it was a remarkable shift for Mr. Trump, who had disparaged Syria as nothing but 'sand and death' during his first term as president. He had also expressed deep skepticism regarding the longstanding deployment of U.S. forces in the country. A contingent of about 2,000 American troops placed in northeastern Syria, mainly to prevent the resurrection of the Islamic State, will be reduced to around 1,400, U.S. officials have said. The meeting was also a pivotal turn of events for Mr. al-Shara, who has long had a $10 million bounty on his head. He was also held for years in U.S. custody in Iraq. After being released, he returned to Syria in 2011 to establish a branch of the Islamic State, then allied his group with Al Qaeda but broke with it in 2016. In the years since, Mr. al-Shara had focused on governing the country's northwest, from which his ragtag band of fighters launched the offensive in December that brought down the Syrian government. The United States has dropped its offer of a reward for Mr. al-Shara in December, but he remains on the list of designated terrorists for his past affiliation with Al Qaeda. In Syria, there were scenes of jubilation in the streets at the news that sanctions would be lifted. Many people expressed optimism that at least some of their economic woes would be addressed. But many Syrians were also worried that their country might yet split apart because of a recent surge in sectarian violence. More broadly across the Middle East, violence and conflict continued even as Mr. Trump toured the region. Israeli airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip killed dozens of Palestinians, Palestinian health officials said on Wednesday. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But an Israeli military spokesman had threatened to bomb part of northern Gaza after militants fired rockets at Israel. Israel, the main U.S. ally in the region, was not included on Mr. Trump's trip, amid reports of growing differences with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over American attempts to negotiate a cease-fire in the Gaza war with Hamas. But Mr. Trump told reporters that he was not trying to sideline Israel. 'This is good for Israel, having a relationship like I have with these countries, Middle Eastern countries, essentially all of them,' Mr. Trump said. In his remarks to Arab leaders, Mr. Trump did single out Iran for criticism, but had also noted that he wanted to make a deal with Tehran on its advancing nuclear program. He also noted earlier that he did not relish having permanent enemies. That is certainly true of Qatar, which Mr. Trump had accused during his first presidency of supporting terrorism. But when he landed in Doha, the Qatari capital, effusive greetings were exchanged. 'We are very excited,' the leader of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, greeted Mr. Trump during a red-carpet ceremony at the government's main offices. 'I know that you want to bring peace to this region.' The president praised the emir's work to mediate the wars in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine. Soon after he arrived, Qatar Airways, which uses Doha as a hub linking long-haul flights to Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas, signed an agreement for the 160 Boeing jets. Neither the American nor the Qatari leader mentioned publicly the $400 million Boeing 747 that Qatar had offered Mr. Trump as a replacement for Air Force One. Mr. Trump has said that he would be a 'fool' not to take it, but the offer has stirred widespread criticism in the United States, even from some staunch Trump supporters. As Mr. Trump's limousine rolled toward the Qatar Royal Court, a cavalry of men on camelback lined its path. 'We appreciate those camels,' Mr. Trump said later. 'We haven't seen camels like that in a long time.'
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Thursday Briefing: Trump Meets Syria's New Leader
Hope in Syria as Trump met with new leader Syrians yesterday celebrated President Trump's promise to lift sanctions, hopeful that life would improve there after more than a decade of war. Salaries could go up, the cost of bread would come down and gasoline would become cheaper. Trump met yesterday with President Ahmed al-Shara, another milestone in Syria's bid to break out of its isolation. It was the first time in 25 years that the leaders of the two countries had met. During the 30-minute meeting, held during Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump told al-Shara, who once led a branch of Al Qaeda, that he had the 'opportunity to do something historic in his country,' a White House summary said. Aboard Air Force One on his way to Qatar, Trump described al-Shara as a 'young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.' On the second day of his visit to the Gulf region, Trump was welcomed in the capital, Doha, by the emir of Qatar, and rode in his motorcade past men on camelback. Deals: Trump announced that Qatar Airways had agreed to buy 210 Boeing jets and the countries signed a statement of defense cooperation. Here's a look at the other agreements made on Trump's Gulf tour so far. South Africa's leader criticized Afrikaners going to the U.S. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the white South Africans who left for the U.S. were 'cowardly.' Dozens of white South Africans landed in the U.S. this week, and over 8,000 more have expressed interest in resettling in the U.S. 'They are running away' from a duty to help South Africa solve its problems, Ramaphosa said on Tuesday. He added, 'When you run away, you are a coward.' The government strongly rejected the Trump administration's assertion that the Afrikaners, members of a white minority that ruled during apartheid Africa, should be eligible for refugee status. Context: Trump has long spread conspiracy theories about the mistreatment of white South Africans. His close adviser Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, has shared similar views on X. Each has argued that the lives of white farmers are in jeopardy, a claim that the evidence does not support. Cassie testified about physical abuse by Sean Combs For the second consecutive day, Casandra Ventura, the singer known as Cassie, testified in the trial of Sean Combs, her former boyfriend and label boss, about living in fear of going against his wishes. She said that Combs was frequently physically abusive and blackmailed her by threatening to release explicit videos that would have damaged her career. Ventura is an important witness for the prosecution, which contends that she and another woman were coerced into drug-fueled marathon sex sessions called 'freak-offs.' Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges and said the sexual encounters were consensual. Here are the major points from yesterday's testimony. José 'Pepe' Mujica, who died on Tuesday, didn't much like Uruguay's opulent presidential residence with its chandeliers and marble. So when he was elected, he chose to commute from his own home, a three-room shack. The choice was a political masterstroke that showed the value of world leaders who live like their constituents. Lives lived: Nahid Rachlin, a novelist whose debut work 'Foreigner' provided insight into pre-revolutionary Iran, died at 85. An author's return from upheaval Jeanine Cummins's 2020 novel, 'American Dirt,' was a colossal success by most measures, selling more than four million copies in nearly 40 languages. It also ignited a backlash over her portrayal of Mexican migrants that nearly ended her career and her desire to write. Five years later, Cummins has just published a new novel, 'Speak to Me of Home,' which draws from her family's history in Puerto Rico and the Midwest. She spoke to us about the period of soul-searching that led her to write it. Read more. Bake: These hearty dinner rolls are a joy to bake and surprisingly easy. Watch: 'Friendship' explores the complicated platonic relationships between men. Read: Besha Rodell's memoir, 'Hunger Like a Thirst,' provides a fascinating history of restaurant criticism. Travel: Learn about mole sauce, tacos and local culture with a cooking course in Mexico City. Restore: Cleaning suede is easier than you think. Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That's it for today. See you tomorrow. — Justin We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Meets Militant Who Now Leads Syria
President Trump held an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday with the president of Syria, Ahmed al-Shara, a day after announcing that the United States would lift sanctions on his country — a move that would ease the economic stranglehold on a nation that is seen as central to the stability of the Middle East. It was the first time in 25 years that the two countries' leaders had met, and another milestone in Syria's bid to reintegrate itself into the international community after decades of isolation. The two men spoke for about half an hour just before a summit of Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia, a White House official said. Mr. Trump told Mr. al-Shara that 'he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country,' according to a summary of the meeting from the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. The president also urged Mr. al-Shara to take steps to normalize Syria's relations with Israel, which have long been hostile, and to tell 'all foreign terrorists to leave' the country, the summary said. Mr. Trump met Mr. al-Shara at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, who took part in the meeting. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which backed the insurgency that brought Mr. al-Shara to power, joined by phone. Prince Mohammed and Mr. Erdogan had both urged Mr. Trump to lift the sanctions on Syria, and they praised the move in the meeting on Wednesday, with the crown prince describing it as 'courageous,' according to the White House summary. The encounter was also a stunning turnaround for Mr. al-Shara, an ex-militant who led the rebel alliance that ousted the dictator Bashar al-Assad in December, and who once led a branch of Al Qaeda before he broke ties with the jihadist group and sought to moderate his image. The United States designated Mr. al-Shara's militant group as a terrorist organization, and it dropped its offer of a reward of up to $10 million for information on him just five months ago. A statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry described the meeting as 'historic' and said that Mr. Trump had 'affirmed that the administration in Washington is committed to playing a positive and constructive role during this sensitive period.' Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister, said at a news conference later on Wednesday that Syria's 'many opportunities, capabilities, and resources' were 'one of the most important points of discussion' at the meeting. 'It has resources, and more importantly, it has a capable people: an educated, knowledgeable population that is eager to move Syria into a new phase,' he said. The meeting took place on the second day of Mr. Trump's four-day Middle East tour, the first major overseas trip of his second term. The first day focused in large part on business deals, including for defense equipment and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Mr. Trump has cultivated close diplomatic and business relationships with Saudi Arabia, and the cozy relations offered Gulf leaders an opportunity to push for the lifting of sanctions on Syria, which many of them see as critical to stemming economic collapse and preventing fresh conflict that could spread beyond the country's borders.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Syrians Are Elated and Optimistic as Trump Vows to Lift Sanctions
Salaries would go up. Bread and gasoline would be cheaper. The electricity would come on for more than a few hours per day. The reconstruction of destroyed towns and cities would begin. President Trump's announcement in a speech in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that he would lift U.S. sanctions on Syria unleashed hope across the country that life would improve after more than a decade of war and deprivation. 'It will put us at ease,' said Sami al-Hajj, a pharmacist. 'Before, we were scared for the future, for us and our children. But this will open up opportunities.' Analysts and many others in Syria see lifting U.S. sanctions as crucial to enabling the new government to rebuild an economy decimated by war. The sanctions effectively cut Syria out of the international banking system and isolated it from the global economy, blocking money transfers, restricting imports and barring activity by most international companies. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump also met with Syria's president, Ahmed al-Shara, a former rebel leader who spearheaded the campaign that toppled the strongman Bashar al-Assad in December. It was the first time in 25 years the leaders of the two countries had met. The conversation, which lasted about half an hour, granted another stamp of recognition to Mr. al-Shara, who is still designated as a terrorist by the U.S. government for his past affiliation with Al Qaeda. In a social media post after the meeting, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that Mr. Trump had urged Mr. al-Shara to reach a peace accord with Israel, expel foreign terrorists, help the United States fight the Islamic State and take over detention centers that hold Islamic State militants in northeastern Syria. The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, was expected to meet with Mr. al-Shara's foreign minister to discuss the details. The Syrian government lauded the meeting in a statement as 'historic,' and said it had addressed 'avenues for Syrian-American partnership,' including in counterterrorism. The United States has imposed sanctions on Syria for decades. But more were added during the war to punish Mr. al-Assad for his brutal efforts to suppress a popular uprising in 2011 and to quash the rebels who ended up overthrowing him. By the time Mr. al-Shara and aligned groups took control, swaths of Syria had been destroyed and the economy had been hollowed out. A United Nations report in February found that nine out of 10 Syrians lived in poverty and that the country's economic output was one-quarter of what it had been before the war. At its current growth rate, the report said, Syria would not return to its prewar economic output before 2080. If the United States follows through on Mr. Trump's announcement, it could be a game changer. Wealthy Gulf states such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which support the new government, could send financial aid without fear of punishment. Private companies from Turkey and elsewhere could seek contracts in construction and other sectors. And Syrians in the diaspora would be able to send money home more easily, to rebuild destroyed properties and start businesses. Mr. Trump said lifting sanctions would give Syria 'a fresh start,' but he did not address when sanctions would officially be lifted and by what mechanism. He can suspend some himself, but others were implemented by Congress, which would need to be involved in removing them. It could take longer, however, for individual Syrians to feel the difference, said Karam Shaar, the director of a Middle East consulting firm. 'Economically, I think the impacts will take a lot longer to start flowing in because lifting sanctions is not as easy as just flipping a switch,' he said. 'You can't just make a political announcement. It is much more complicated.' Mr. Trump's announcement is also a win for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who both lobbied Mr. Trump to lift sanctions. But above all, it is a boon for Mr. al-Shara and his efforts to reunite Syria's divided territory. 'Now the ball is in the court of the new government,' said Omar Abu Layla, a Syrian political analyst. Despite tremendous challenges, he said, Syrians were willing to give the new government a chance. But Mr. al-Shara had to focus on 'improving the lives of citizens,' by expanding basic services like security, water and electricity. 'I want to have a house, a car, a job and to live a normal life,' he said, describing a common sentiment among Syrians. 'We are tired and we want stability and to live a dignified life.' Syrians interviewed after Mr. Trump's announcement said they were crippled by poverty during the war, as government services failed, their currency's value sank, foreign products disappeared from markets and their ability to buy those that remained fell. 'The exchange rate was so high that we couldn't afford things,' said Rasha al-Masri, 29. 'We couldn't keep up with prices and most people in Damascus wanted to leave the country.' She had quit her job as an accountant when her salary became worth less than $100 a month, she said. Monthly pay for some soldiers and other government employees was less than $40 and amenities were poor. 'The internet was slow and we had to use a VPN to do anything,' she said, because sanctions blocked many technology companies from providing services. 'Cars were expensive and we felt like we could never afford anything.' Ms. al-Masri is optimistic. Syria's currency swiftly gained value against the dollar after Mr. Trump's announcement, and she hoped that the country's economy would soon reopen to the world. Her friend, Heba Mahmoud, who does not work outside the home, praised Mr. al-Shara's leadership of Syria. 'President Ahmed al-Shara has brought the Syrian people to a place we never thought we would reach,' she said.
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Kurdish Distrust of Syria's New Government Runs Deep
When rebel forces took over Syria, they pledged to unite the country's disparate armed groups into a unified national army. The biggest challenge for them by far has been in northeastern Syria, an autonomous region run by the country's Kurdish minority where suspicion of the new leadership runs deep. In past years, the rebels and the Kurds fought each other. But with the rebels now governing Syria, they are working to form an alliance and merge the powerful Kurdish-led military into the new national force. Interviews with dozens of people in the northeast in late March revealed that Kurdish distrust of the new government is rooted partly in the fact that the former rebels now in charge were once affiliated with Al Qaeda. Some Kurds are also wary because the new government is backed by Turkey, which has tried for years to undercut Kurdish power in Syria. 'How can we trust this new government in Damascus?' asked Amina Mahmoud, 31, a Kurdish resident of the northeastern town of Kobani. Her skepticism is shared by other members of Syria's diverse range of ethnic and religious minorities, who worry that the new government will not protect, include or represent them. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or S.D.F., agreed on March 10 to integrate its military and other institutions, including its prized oil and gas fields, under the central government's control by year's end. It was a major breakthrough for the new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Shara, in his efforts to unify a country still wrestling with violent turmoil. In the last month, the Kurds began to reduce their military presence in the major northeastern city of Aleppo and the two sides exchanged prisoners even as the rhetoric on both sides has become more confrontational, underscoring the long history of tensions. Initially, the merger deal had been applauded in the northeast — an area with a mixed population of Arabs and Kurds that is administered by a Kurdish-led regional government. The Kurds, who make up about 10 percent of Syria's population, particularly welcomed a provision in the accord stipulating that they would have the same rights as other Syrians. But doubts quickly surfaced. Members of the regional government described the agreement as merely a first step. Important details have yet to be worked out, such as whether the S.D.F. will join the national military as a bloc or have a continuing role in securing the northeast. 'Al-Shara and the new government want to control all of Syria,' said Badran Kurdi, a Kurdish political figure who took part in the merger negotiations with Mr. al-Shara. 'And of course they are dreaming about controlling all of our areas. But it's very difficult.' Ali Ahmed, 55, a Kurd from the northeastern city of Hasakah who teaches chemistry, called Mr. al-Shara 'a terrorist.' He spoke as his family enjoyed a picnic in the countryside to celebrate the spring festival of Nowruz, the Persian new year. 'We know him,' he said. He was referring to the period from 2013 to 2016, when Mr. al-Shara led Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front. During those years, the Nusra Front fought a number of battles against the S.D.F. over control of several northeastern towns. Mr. al-Shara now speaks of reconstruction and inclusion. As Mr. Ahmed looked across a haze of greening fields toward the Turkish border, barely 10 miles away, he said that Mr. al-Shara's close ties with Turkey only added to his doubts. But not all Kurds see the deal as a negative. One senior member of the Kurdish political leadership, Salih Muslim, said that despite the distance between the two sides, he sees this as a historic opportunity for Kurds to gain recognition from the government. Inextricably woven into every conversation, however, were questions about whether the deal will stop Turkey's attacks on Syrian Kurds. Turkey links Kurdish fighters in Syria's northeast to the Kurdish militants inside Turkey who have been fighting the government for more than 40 years. For the past several years, Turkey has been launching air attacks on Syrian Kurdish-forces across the border and has also supported Syrian proxy forces against the Kurds. The Turkish military initially kept up some drone attacks and airstrikes even after Mr. al-Shara and the S.D.F. leader, Mazloum Abdi, signed the merger accord. But it has now suspended the attacks. One of the deadliest Turkish strikes since the accord hit a farming hamlet outside the Kurdish-majority town of Kobani in March. It killed a family of farm laborers — a couple and their eight children, the youngest 7 months old, according to Firas Qassim Lo, the farmer they were working for, and the Syrian Democratic Forces. Turkey denied killing the family and said in a statement that its operations 'exclusively target terrorist organizations.' Turkey routinely refers to the S.D.F. as 'terrorists.' There was no indication that anyone connected to the Kurdish-led force was in the family's home when it was struck. A funeral for the family drew more than a thousand Kurds who lined a road leading to a small cemetery in Kobani. Each of the coffins, a photo of the deceased taped to the outside, was hoisted onto the shoulders of local men and carried to the burial ground. Ms. Mahmoud, the Kurdish resident of Kobani, lives in an apartment overlooking the cemetery and watched with tears in her eyes. 'Why does Erdogan do this to us? What have we done?' she said, referring to Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Shortly after the Kobani strike, Turkey largely suspended its attacks on the S.D.F., as did its Syrian proxy forces. Some Christians, who practice their faith openly in the northeast, sounded fearful of any agreement that would allow Mr. al-Shara's military forces to deploy there. Their fears were heightened last month by violence directed primarily at another Syrian minority, the Alawites, in two northwestern provinces along the Mediterranean coast. The violence began when loyalists of the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad attacked the new government's forces. The soldiers responded, but so did thousands of others fighters, including foreign fighters and armed groups nominally linked to the new government. About 1,600 people were killed, most of them civilians from the Alawite minority, which the Assad family belongs to. Alis Marderos, 50, an Armenian Christian in the northeastern town of Qamishli, said that the Kurds needed to remain in charge of security. 'If the Kurds did not exist here, we would have been beheaded,' she said after attending Sunday Mass at the Armenian Orthodox church. For years, the United States has given military, financial and political support to the S.D.F. after deeming it the ground force most capable of defeating the Islamic State, the terrorist group that took over a large swath of Syrian territory during the civil war. U.S. troops have maintained a small presence in northeastern Syria for years but began this month to draw them down. After years of fighting, the S.D.F. managed to wrest back all the territory captured by the Islamic State. Some Arab residents of the northeast said they were pleased with the deal because it would bring the S.D.F. under the control of the central government, which they see as a needed check on Kurdish power. Arabs, who are the majority ethnic group in Syria, were divided, however, on the role they want the Kurdish-led forces to play in the future. Sheikh Hassan al Muslat al-Milhim, an Arab Syrian from Hasakah, said he resented the power of the S.D.F. in a region that has a large Arab population. The American support for the force made things worse, in his view, by augmenting its power. 'We the Arabs, up until this moment, do not like having the Americans here,' said Mr. al-Milhim. He said he had appreciated Mr. al-Shara's approach when he led the Nusra Front and was active in the northeast. 'They respected us, they helped us,' Mr. al-Milhim said. 'They were Islamist, but not radical.' But his view is not shared by all Arab Syrians. Mann Aldaneh, a tribal leader of several Bedouin Arab villages near the Turkish border, has warm relations with nearby Kurdish villages. He welcomed the agreement but said he did not trust the new central government in Damascus to guard prisons and camps in the northeast that hold thousands of Islamic State fighters and some 40,000 of their family members. That sentiment has been echoed by security officials in neighboring Iraq and Europe as well.
