Formerly wanted by the United States with a $10 million bounty, the "criminal" visited the United States
Middle East media: Envoy says Trump will meet with Syrian President al-Sarraj in the White House
According to a Washington-based envoy in Damascus, US President Donald Trump will host Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sarraj for talks on November 10. This will be the first visit of a Syrian president to the US capital.
US envoy Tom Barrack told Axios newspaper on Saturday that al-Sarraj is expected to sign an agreement during the visit to join the international coalition led by the United States against the Islamic State (ISIS) organization.
Reuters also cited a Syrian source familiar with the matter, saying the visit is expected to take place within the next two weeks.
According to the history of visits by foreign leaders to Washington, there has never been a formal visit by a Syrian president to Washington before.
Al-Sarraj seized power from Bashar al-Assad last December and has been seeking to rebuild relations with world powers that avoided Damascus during Assad's rule.
He met with Trump in Saudi Arabia in May, marking the first meeting between the two leaders in 25 years.
This meeting took place during Trump's gathering with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders and was seen as a major turning point in the situation in Syria, which is still adapting to life after more than 50 years of the Assad family's rule.
Al-Sarraj also spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
Envoys from the US to Syria, Barrack, told reporters during the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain that Washington's goal is to recruit Damascus to join the alliance led by the United States since 2014 to combat ISIS. The group controlled about one-third of Syria and Iraq during its peak from 2014 to 2017.
"We are trying to make everyone a partner in this alliance, which is significant for them," said Barrack.
Al-Sarraj once led a branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, but ten years ago, the rebel group he led broke away from the network founded by Bin Laden and later clashed with ISIS.
Al-Sarraj was previously wanted by the United States with a $10 million bounty.
Al-Sarraj, also known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani, joined armed groups fighting against the US military in Iraq before entering the Syrian war. He was even imprisoned by the US military for several years there.
The US-led coalition and its local partners expelled ISIS from its last stronghold in Syria in 2019.
As al-Sarraj plans his visit to Washington, Trump is urging Middle Eastern allies to seize the opportunity to establish lasting peace in this volatile region, following the recent implementation of a ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas. The agreement aims to permanently end Israel's brutal war in Gaza that lasted two years.
The fragile ceasefire and hostage release agreement is still being maintained, but the situation remains precarious.
Gaza health authorities stated that Israeli attacks in Gaza earlier this week resulted in 104 deaths, including dozens of women and children. These attacks were the deadliest since the ceasefire began on October 10 and posed the most severe challenge to the fragile ceasefire so far.
Meanwhile, Syria and Israel are negotiating to reach an agreement, with Damascus hoping the agreement will ensure Israel stops air raids and withdraws the Israeli forces that have entered southern Syria.
Barrack had previously stated at the Manama Dialogue that Syria and Israel continue to hold talks to ease tensions, with the United States mediating.
He told reporters that Syria and Israel are close to reaching an agreement, but he refused to reveal when it would be finalized. Israel and Syria have been rivals in the Middle East for decades.
Despite Assad being overthrown last December, territorial disputes and deep-seated political distrust between the two countries remain.
Sources: Al Jazeera Plus News Agency
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847670423858176/
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