What does al-Sharaa's visit to Trump reveal?
US President Donald Trump welcomed Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House in Washington on Tuesday. He praised the former head of the now disbanded terrorist militia HTS as a "strong leader" who could turn war-torn Syria into a successful country. The press reacts to the visit and the rapprochement between the two countries with surprise and admiration.
Blurred boundaries
Trump's reception of a former terrorist in the White House is symbolic, Večernji list believes:
“Trump sees al-Sharaa as a useful partner for US interests in the region: curbing Iranian influence, controlling the borders with Iraq and stabilising the area between Turkey and Israel. ... But such a rehabilitation has deep symbolism. When a leader once associated with the ideological legacy of al-Qaeda and IS is now welcomed into the Oval Office, the boundaries between terrorism and diplomacy become blurred. Were Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi still alive today, it can't be ruled out that Trump, in line with his logic of 'deals over ideology', might also have met with them if it served his political interests.”
Red carpet for the former enemy
US foreign policy has changed to the point where it is unrecognisable, La Stampa quips:
“In an inscrutable world where images count for more than any geopolitical analysis, there is one image that will go down in the history books - that of Syrian [transitional] President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as al-Julani, a notorious jihadist and long-time arch-enemy of the West, being welcomed in Washington as if he were a long-standing ally. Until a few months ago, such a scene would have seemed far-fetched even for a Netflix political fantasy series. Today, given the power dynamics shaping the new Middle East, it no longer even comes as a surprise.”
Game changer in the Middle East
Trump has already achieved more in the Middle East than his predecessors, writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung's North America correspondent Andreas Scheiner:
“For decades, Syria was a linchpin in the Iranian-led 'axis of evil'. ... Washington wants to seize the opportunity to shift the regional balance of power. ... A deal between Syria and Israel would be a game changer for the region. ... With his unorthodox, impulse-driven Middle East policy, Trump has already achieved far more in the region than Joe Biden or even Barack Obama before him. ... Together with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, the self-proclaimed dealmaker is shaking up the region at a dizzying speed for fanatics on all sides. Trump, the foreign policy maker, is creating facts on the ground by forging ahead.”
Fragile stability in Syria
The situation in Syria remains extremely tense, warns The Irish Times:
“Clashes between the Sunni regime and Alawite forces still loyal to Assad, along with sectarian violence involving the Christian, Druze and Bedouin communities, reflect the fragility of Syria's communal patchwork and raise doubts about al-Sharaa's promises of inclusiveness. ... The new Syrian leadership must do everything possible to bring its forces under control, prevent such sectarian attacks, and bring those responsible to justice. And the international community must rally to support Syria's revival and reintegration into its ranks.”