(Ozi news desk):
President Donald Trump is set to welcome Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday, marking a significant shift as the previously isolated nation joins a US-led coalition aimed at combating the Islamic State group.
This marks the first visit to the White House by a Syrian head of state since Syria gained independence from France in 1946. The visit follows the recent lifting of sanctions that had been imposed on Syria during the long tenure of the Assad family. Al-Sharaa, who led the rebel forces that ousted former President Bashar Assad last December, was appointed as the interim leader in January.
Trump and al-Sharaa, who previously had connections to al-Qaida and was the target of a $10 million bounty from the US, first met in May in Saudi Arabia. During this meeting, the US president characterized al-Sharaa as a “young, attractive guy” with a “strong past” and described him as a fighter. This encounter marked the first official dialogue between the US and Syria since 2000, when former President Bill Clinton met with Hafez Assad, the father of Bashar Assad.
