Trump praises Syria’s Al-Qaeda-linked leader after White House visit

Ahmad al-Sharaa led the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which seized power in Damascus in 2024

US President Donald Trump has praised Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa as a strong leader after hosting him in the White House on Monday.

Sharaa, a former jihadist commander with ties to Al-Qaeda who was once blacklisted by the US government, toppled Syria’s longtime leader Bashar Assad in December 2024. He has since pledged to rebuild the war-torn country and protect its ethnic and religious minorities.

“He is a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place, and he’s a tough guy. I liked him. I get along with him,” Trump told journalists in the Oval Office. “We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful, and we think this leader can do it,” he added.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW