WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President donald trump It will be the Syrian president’s first visit to the White House, and he will welcome Ahmad al-Shallah for talks, administration officials announced Saturday.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the engagement, which has not yet been formally announced, said talks were scheduled to be held on November 10.
President Trump met with Al-Shara in Saudi Arabia in May, marking the first meeting between leaders of the two countries in 25 years. Syria continues to struggle to emerge from decades of international isolation.
The meeting, which coincided with a meeting between President Trump and Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, was seen as a major turn of events for Syria, which is still adjusting to life after more than 50 years of conflict. Assad’s iron rule.
Al-Sharaa was once offered a $10 million bounty by the United States.
under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed Al GolaniAl-Shara has ties to al-Qaeda and joined rebel groups fighting U.S. forces in Iraq before joining the Syrian war. He was also imprisoned there by the US military for several years.
The official said that during his visit, al-Sharah is expected to sign an agreement to join the US-led coalition against ISIS.
During the May meeting, al-Shalah became the first Syrian leader to meet a US president since President Hafez al-Assad met with Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000.
The visit comes as President Trump urges allies in the Middle East to seize this opportunity to build national structures. lasting peace In the subsequent volatile region Israel and Hamas It began implementing a ceasefire and hostage agreement earlier this month. The agreement aims to bring a permanent end to two years of brutal war in Gaza.
A fragile ceasefire and hostage agreement remain in place, but the situation remains volatile.
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza earlier this week killed 104 people, including dozens of women and children, according to Gaza health authorities.
The attack was the deadliest since the ceasefire began on October 10. The most serious challenge to the tenuous ceasefire up to now.
The attack took place on Tuesday night after Israel accused Hamas of killing a soldier and staging the discovery of a dead hostage.
News of the planned meeting between Trump and Al-Shallah was first reported by Axios.
