The president of the United States, Donald Trump, met with the president of Syria in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after a surprise announcement of the United States that he would raise all the sanctions to the government led by Islamist, and said that Washington was exploring the possibility of normalizing ties with Damascus.
He made the comments during a summit between the countries of the United States and the Arab Gulf. Trump met Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria before the summit. The photos published in Saudi State Television showed them their hand in the presence of the heir prince of Saudi Arabia.
Trump also urged Sharaa to normalize ties with Israel, a White House spokesman said.
Despite the concerns within the sectors of his administration about the old leading ties of Syria with Al Qaeda, Trump said Tuesday during a speech in Riyadh that he would raise the sanctions to Syria in an important change of policy.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan joined Trump and Saudi heir prince Mohammed Bin Salman, also known as MBS, practically at the meeting, Anadolu news agency reported.
MBS told Saudi Arabia Summit, praise the decision to succeed to lift Syria sanctions.
The lifting of the sanctions occurred despite the deep Israeli suspicions of the administration of Sharaa, the concerns initially shared by some US officials. Israeli officials have continued to describe the Sharaa as a jihadist, although he cut the ties with Al Qaeda in 2016. The Israel government did not immediately respond to the requests for comments.
The decision is a great impulse for Sharaa, who has been struggling to put the country under the control of the Damascus government after demolishing former President Bashar al-Assad in December.
The challenges were exposed in March when Assad’s loyal ones attacked government forces, which caused revenge attacks in which Islamist armed men killed hundreds of civilians from the Alauita minority, which caused a strong American condemnation.
Trump is on a four -day visit to the states of the Gulf rich in oil that includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The first day of a Trump four -day swing through the Gulf region was marked by the luxurious ceremony and business, including a commitment of $ 600 billion of Saudi Arabia to invest in the US. UU. And $ 142 billion in US weapons sales. Uu. To the kingdom.
Later today, Trump will fly to the capital of Qatar Doha, where he will participate in a state visit with Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and other officials. Qatar is expected, a key ally of the United States, announce hundreds of billions of dollars in investments in the United States.
The ally of the United States Israel has opposed the relief of sanctions for Syria, but Trump said Tuesday that the Saudi prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who are near the president of the United States, encouraged him to make the movement.
Former Al Qaeda commander
The Sharaa was for years the leader of the official wing of Al Qaeda in the Syrian conflict. First he joined the group in Iraq, where he spent five years in an American prison. The United States eliminated a $ 10 million reward in Sharaa’s head in December.
His interactions with Sharaa, who led the rebel forces that demolished former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December, will be closely observed as observers will evaluate how serious is Washington about restoring their relationship with Damascus.
Sharaa renounced ties with Al Qaeda in 2016.
