Syria’s al-Sharaa arrives in Washington as US eyes new ally against ISIL

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has landed in Washington for what’s being called a “historic” visit, the first by a Syrian leader since the country’s independence in 1946. The trip comes as the US hopes to bring Damascus into its coalition against ISIL, or ISIS, even as Syria launches its own sweeping crackdown on the group at home.

Al-Sharaa’s arrival late Saturday coincided with Syria’s Ministry of Interior announcing a “large-scale security operation” targeting ISIL cells across Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs and the Damascus countryside. State media said at least 71 suspects were detained and caches of weapons and explosives seized.

The former rebel commander, whose forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Al-Sharaa, once blacklisted as a terrorist, was officially removed from Washington’s sanctions list on Friday.

US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said earlier this month that the White House “hopefully” expects al-Sharaa to sign on to the US-led anti-ISIL alliance. Reuters and AFP have reported that Washington is eyeing a military presence at an airbase near Damascus to underpin a new security pact between Syria and Israel, though Syrian state media has denied it.

For his part, al-Sharaa is seeking reconstruction aid for a country devastated by 13 years of war. The World Bank estimates Syria’s rebuilding could cost at least $216 billion, “a conservative best estimate.”

Al-Sharaa, whose group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) split from al-Qaeda a decade ago and later fought ISIL, has been steadily reintroduced into international diplomacy. In September, he became the first Syrian president in decades to address the UN General Assembly.