Trump jokes, laughs with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at White House but US embassy wants to 'STOP THIS TERRORIST'

The world witnessed the stunning ascendency of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa when he was welcomed by US President Donald Trump in the White House this week. Sharaa, whose rebel forces Bashar al-Assad from Syria last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since 1946. From a former member of al-Qaeda to being the head of a terror outfit affiliated to al-Qaeda to being the president of Syria and standing alongside Trump - world has seen the spectacular arc of Sharaa - formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.

However, as the US embraced the former al-Qaeda terrorist, a 2017 post on the X handle of US Embassy in Syria still 'WANTED' him and was ready to pay $10 million for information on him. The US State Department at that time was listed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) among Al-Qaida’s top operatives in Syria and had designated it as terrorist organisation. Sharaa was designated as terrorist.

From al-Qaeda terrorist to Trump's tough guy'

While Trump's MAGA base opposed his visit and criticised Trump for hosting the former jihadist, the Trump administration removed him from terrorism list. In return, Syria joined the global coalition against the Islamic State group. Born in 1982 in Riyadh to Syrian parents originally from the Golan Heights, Ahmed al-Sharaa became involved in jihadist movements during the early 2000s and joined al-Qaeda in Iraq amid the chaos of the US invasion. He was captured by American forces in 2006. After spending five years in detention, he returned to Syria in the aftermath of Arab Spring in 2010-2011. Later, when the civil war broke out in Syria, Jolani founded the al-Nusra Front, and played a major role in the Syrian civil war. However, by 2016, al-Sharaa publicly broke away from al-Qaeda, rebranding his organisation as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stating that his focus is on fixing Syria and focus on Syrian agenda. Not only his organisation, Jolani also rebranded himself as Ahmed al-Sharaa and by 2024, he became the reason for the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Now, in what may undoubtedly be dramatic scenes for many, Trump was seen laughing, joking and shaking hands with once-wanted terrorist. In a light-hearted exchange, Trump is seen presenting Al-Sharaa with a bottle of perfume, spraying it on him and saying, "It's the best fragrance... And the other one is for your wife." Turning playful, he then asks, "How many wives?" When Al-Sharaa replies, "one," laughter follows. Trump quips back, "You never know!" According to Syria, Sharaa and Trump discussed the bilateral relationship, “the ways to strengthen and develop it, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common interest.” The Syrian leader was also seen with Vice President JD Vance, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and top US military officer Dan Caine.