The Kabul Tribune (KT) —U.S. President Donald Trump pledged Monday to do
everything he can to help Syria succeed following landmark talks with Syrian
President Ahmed al‑Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander recently removed from
U.S. and UN terrorist sanctions lists. (Reuters, published today,
Nov. 11, 2025)
Sharaa’s visit marked the first-ever trip by a Syrian
president to Washington and capped a remarkable rise for the
rebel-turned-ruler, who overthrew longtime Syrian President Bashar al‑Assad
last December. During his first White House visit, Sharaa sought full repeal of
the U.S. Caesar Act sanctions, which impose strict economic penalties for human
rights abuses under Assad. While the U.S. Treasury Department announced a
180-day extension of the sanctions suspension, only Congress can lift them
entirely. (Reuters, Nov. 11, 2025)
Speaking to reporters, Trump praised Sharaa as a “strong
leader” and voiced confidence in him. “We’ll do everything we can to make Syria
successful,” he said, acknowledging the Syrian president’s controversial past.
(Reuters, Nov. 11, 2025)
The meeting also focused on security issues, including U.S.-brokered
discussions on a potential security pact between Syria and Israel and the
continuation of Syria’s political cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition
against the Islamic State. Just hours before the talks, Syrian authorities
foiled two Islamic State assassination plots targeting Sharaa and launched a
nationwide campaign arresting more than 70 suspects. (Reuters, Nov. 11, 2025)
Sharaa, 43, has spent the past year repositioning Syria away
from alliances with Iran and Russia and toward Turkey, the Gulf states, and
Washington. His government faces challenges including sectarian violence, which
has killed over 2,500 people since Assad’s fall, and the immense task of
rebuilding a war-ravaged nation, estimated by the World Bank to cost more than
$200 billion. (Reuters, Nov. 11, 2025)
Sharaa’s personal transformation is notable. Once a militant
aligned with al Qaeda, he broke ties with the group in 2016 and consolidated
power in Syria’s northwest. The U.S. removed a $10 million bounty on his head
last year, and the UN Security Council recently lifted terror-related sanctions
on him and his interior minister, Anas Khattab. (Reuters, Nov. 11, 2025)
According to Reuters reports published today, Nov. 11, 2025,
Trump vowed full support to Syria and promised continued sanctions relief,
signaling a major shift in U.S. engagement with the country
