Name: Trump praises Syrias al-Sharaa very strong leader after meeting
Uploaded: 2025-11-11T00:17:42.893Z
Duration: 3 min 3 s
Description: President Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday and announced a new partnership with the country.

President Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday and announced a new partnership with the country.

Washington

President Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House and announced a new partnership between the United States and Syria, including Syria's participation in the US-led coalition to defeat ISIS. Al-Sharaa, who previously led efforts to overthrow Bashar al-Assad and has denounced his former ties to al-Qaeda, was recently removed from the US global terrorist list.

The meeting was not open to the press, with only limited video footage available. Analysts noted the significance of the partnership and discussed ongoing challenges, including the need for Syrian reconstruction aid, remaining sanctions, and the hope that Syria will distance itself from Russia and Iran while cooperating with the US on counterterrorism.

Trump praises Syria's al-Sharaa 'very strong leader' after meeting

President Trump welcomed the president of Syria at the White House today and announced a new partnership with the country. Ahmed al-Sharaa led efforts to overthrow former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad last year. He is a former member of al-Qaeda, but has since denounced the group. On Friday, the Trump administration removed his name from a list of global terrorists and today it announced Syria would join a US-led coalition to defeat ISIS. Unlike most of President Trump's meetings with foreign leaders, the press was not allowed inside the room to ask questions. This cell phone video from CBS News' Aaron Navarro was the only footage we have of al-Sharaa leaving the White House. Here's what President Trump said about the meeting hours later. He's 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, the president, the new president of Syria, and we'll do everything we can to make Syria successful because that's part of the Middle East. CBS News national security contributor Sam Vindegrad joins us now. So Sam, what message does it send for President Trump to welcome the Syrian president to the White House? And how much should we read into the fact that the meeting was not open to the press and that he wasn't necessarily welcomed into the White House in the typical way that many foreign leaders are with cameras and the like? Well, Lindsay, I think it's unfortunate the press was not allowed to ask Ahmed al-Sharaa some tough questions about his record and his plans for Syria. I do think it's the right call that President al-Sharaa was not given all the same accolades as other visiting officials. Many security analysts are hoping that President al-Sharaa is committed to stabilizing Syria, to denouncing terrorism, to turning away from Russia and Iran, which had been partners of the al-Assad regime for decades. But the proof is going to be in the pudding. President al-Sharaa is certainly saying all the right things when it comes to, for example, counterterrorism cooperation with the United States and his focus on unifying Syria. But whether he's being pragmatic in the short term or is committed to pragmatism over his original ideology over the longer term, Lindsay, is an outstanding question. What can the U.S. and Syria do for each other? What do both sides want from this relationship? Well, in the short term, the Syrian people desperately need support rebuilding their country. So assistance dollars are going to be desperately needed. There are some problems with that based upon some sanctions that still remain in place, but certainly assistance rebuilding the country. Support is necessary to try to unify the country and to bring various factions together. And at the same time, the United States would greatly benefit from cooperation from Syria in, for example, countering ISIS. That's why this announcement that Syria will now join the countering ISIS coalition is so important. Over the long term, the United States is looking for Syria to become an ally in the region, to renounce violence against Israel, to calm relations with Lebanon, and to stop turning closer towards Russia and Iran and other countries that are hostile towards U.S. interests. Sam Ennigrad, thank you.

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