Trump Is Betting on Syria’s New Strongman

Trump Is Betting on Syria’s New Strongman

“Young, attractive guy. Tough guy, you know. Strong past—very strong past. A fighter.”   That’s how Donald Trump described Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former jihadist who, since December 2024, has been Syria’s de facto leader, after their recent meeting. Syria’s new president, Trump said, has “got a real shot at pulling it together.”   A day earlier, during his visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump announced he would lift U.S. sanctions on Syria, igniti…

Assad is gone, but Syria’s problems live on

The collapse of the Assad regime opened a rare window of opportunity for Syria: the chance to reconstruct a nation not only with bricks and mortar, but through the introduction of legitimacy, trust and the rule of law. Yet, in the months since, it has become clear that Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and his HTS-affiliated circle are not providing the kind of national leadership to effect any such transition. Instead, strongman rule has taken …