Ahmed al-Shara, Syria’s interim president, held a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on the 10th (local time). Since Syria’s founding in 1946, al-Shara is the first Syrian leader to visit the White House. A former al-Qaeda commander who was imprisoned in a U.S. military detention facility in Iraq 20 years ago, he this time sat down with the U.S. president at the White House as a ‘state guest.’ International media viewed the summit as a symbolic moment capping al-Shara’s successful transformation from jihadist to global statesman.

Al-Shara arrived at the White House at 11:37 a.m. and met with President Trump for nearly two hours. Although President Trump usually enjoyed opening meetings with foreign leaders to the press, this summit was held privately without media exposure. It appears to have been a move mindful of al-Shara’s background as an al-Qaeda member.

After the meeting, President Trump said of al-Shara, “He is a very strong leader. I like him,” and added, “He has had a very difficult past. Without a difficult past, one cannot have opportunities.” He also said, “We will do our best for the success of Syria,” and emphasized, “Syria is part of the Middle East, and now peace has come to the Middle East.”

■The U.S. trades ‘Middle East security’ and Syria gets a ‘sanctions reprieve’

In this summit, President al-Shara aimed for a complete lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria. Responding to this, the U.S. Treasury and others announced that enforcement of the ‘Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act’ (Caesar Act), which contains strong sanctions on Syria, would be postponed for an additional 180 days.

Enacted in 2019 to hold the former authoritarian government of Bashar al-Assad accountable for mass killings of civilians, the Caesar Act extended sanctions to individuals and institutions in third countries that transact with Syria, effectively blocking dealings with the Syrian government. The United States announced a 180-day enforcement waiver for the Caesar Act in May and has now granted one more postponement. However, transactions related to the Russian and Iranian governments were excluded from the waiver. A full repeal of the Caesar Act cannot be done by presidential executive order alone and must be approved by a vote in the U.S. Congress.

If sanctions are eased, Syria can resume securing funds and importing goods needed to rebuild a country devastated by 13 years of civil war. In an interview with the Washington Post after the summit, President al-Shara said, “It is clear that President Trump supports Syria’s stability and territorial integrity, as well as the complete lifting of sanctions on Syria.”

President Trump’s greatest concern is Middle East security. Promoting the expansion of the Abraham Accords, which normalize relations between Israel and Middle Eastern countries, he also sees Syria as a target. By bringing Syriawhich stayed close to Russia for more than 50 years during the authoritarian rule of the former Assad regimeinto the pro-Western camp, the United States can keep Russia in check. It can also block Iran from using Syrian territory to support Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon.

Syria announced immediately after the leaders’ meeting that it would cooperate with the international coalition to eradicate the Islamic State (IS). Syrian intelligence chief Hamza al-Mustafa said, “Syria has signed a declaration for political cooperation with the ‘Global Coalition to Defeat IS’.” Emphasizing the agreement’s political nature, he added, “No military elements are included.” Formed under U.S. leadership in 2014, the coalition comprises 89 countries, and Syria became the 90th participant.

President al-Shara also left open the possibility of concluding an Abraham Accords agreement with Israel. In an interview with Fox News, he said, “We will not immediately enter into direct negotiations with Israel,” while adding, “The U.S. administration centered on President Trump could help us reach this kind of negotiation.” Syria shares a border with Israel, and Israel has occupied the Golan Heights, Syrian territory, since 1967.

■ ‘The $10 million bounty man’···Quietly entered through the ‘side door,’ not the main gate

Al-Shara’s White House visit drew attention because he is from al-Qaeda, had once been detained in a U.S. military prison in Iraq, and the United States had even placed a $10 million (about 14.65 billion KRW) bounty on him. The United States removed President al-Shara from its terrorist sanctions list just two days before he entered the country on the 8th.

Perhaps mindful of his background linked to al-Qaeda, the mastermind behind the 9·11 attacks, this meeting was held ‘quietly.’ Typically, President Trump welcomed foreign leaders at the main entrance of the West Wing, where his office is located, but President al-Shara entered through a side door that day to avoid the press.

President al-Shara was active in al-Qaeda’s Iraq branch, and after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, he founded the al-Qaeda-affiliated ‘Nusra Front,’ unified rebel factions to form the armed group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and last December ousted former President Bashar al-Assad.

After rising to lead the Syrian transitional government, President al-Shara espoused moderation and pragmatism for Syria’s reconstruction, and in less than a year pursued a vigorous diplomatic campaign across the West, Arab states, and Russia, showcasing his profile as an international politician. He also drew attention in September by becoming the first Syrian president to address the UN General Assembly.