Trump presses Syria leader on Israel ties

AFP | Doha

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US President Donald Trump landed in Doha yesterday after visiting Riyadh, where he urged Syria’s president to normalise with Israel after offering a major boost to the war-ravaged country by vowing to lift sanctions.

Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader -- Ahmed alSharaa, an erstwhile Islamist guerrilla and onetime jihadist who had been on a US wanted list and led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December.

The interim Syrian president and Trump, wearing matching suits, shook hands as they met jointly in Riyadh with Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and, by video link, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- the key supporter of the new government in Damascus.

While aboard Air Force One en route to Qatar, Trump poured praise on Sharaa, saying the meeting went “great” and describing the leader as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”

Turkey and Saudi Arabia had both advocated reconciliation with Syria, but the move is the latest to put Trump at odds with Israel, which has voiced pessimism over Sharaa and ramped up strikes to degrade the longtime adversary’s military capabilities.

When asked if Sharaa said he’d join Abraham Accords, Trump said: “I told him, I hope you’re going to join once you’re straightened out and he said yes. But they have a lot of work to do.”

Trump also asked Sharaa to deport Palestinian fighters and tell foreign fighters to leave the country, as well as to take control of camps for captured Islamic State group fighters, currently run by Kurdish forces opposed by Turkey, the White House said.

Biggest applause

Syria’s foreign ministry hailed the meeting as “historic”, but did not mention the Abraham Accords. State media also did not mention normalisation.

The ministry said the leaders discussed “avenues for Syrian-American partnership in counterterrorism efforts” and the importance of lifting sanctions and supporting reconstruction.

After the longer-than-expected half-hour meeting, Trump said the Assad-era sanctions had been “really crippling”.“It’s not going to be easy anyway, so it gives them a good, strong chance, and it was my honour to do so,” Trump said, addressing Gulf Arab leaders.

The former reality television host, always attuned to crowd sizes, took note of the rapturous reception when he announced the decision at a Riyadh investment forum Tuesday.

“That was the thing that got the biggest applause from the room. We had a very crowded room with thousands of people,” Trump said. After the announcement, Syrians celebrated in cities across the country overnight.

Trump gave no indication that the United States would remove Syria from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism -- a designation dating back to 1979 over support to Palestinian militants that severely impedes investment.

Qatar plane controversy

Trump later touched down at Hamad International Airport in Doha, where he was met by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Qatar has stirred controversy by offering a $400 million luxury aircraft to serve as a new Air Force One and then go to Trump’s personal use. The move raises major constitutional and ethical questions -- as well as security concerns about a foreign power donating the ultra-sensitive presidential jet.

Trump’s presidential motorcade made its way from the airport to central Doha, led by two Tesla cybertruck cars, customised in the distinctive red of Qatar’s internal security forces.