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 ¡ª following Trump¡¯s announcement of an end to U.S. sanctions on Syria ¡ª 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 ¡ª 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.
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