Trump acknowledges that the Syrian president has a complicated past

This happened a few days after the US and the UN lifted sanctions on the former Al Qaeda commander, a recognized terrorist, for whose head a reward of $10 million had previously been offered, according to The New York Post.

Al-Sharaa, 43, walked down Pennsylvania Avenue to greet dozens of supporters after a roughly 90-minute meeting in the Oval Office that was closed to the press. Al-Sharaa's support group held signs calling on Congress to permanently lift the sanctions, which the Trump administration temporarily lifted earlier this year.

“He's a very strong leader. He comes from a very difficult place and he's a tough guy. I like him. I get along with him. We're going to do everything we can to make Syria successful because it's part of the Middle East. Right now, the Middle East is peaceful,” Trump said.

Trump acknowledged that al-Sharaa has a complicated past, but added, “We all have a complicated past.”

“The conversation focused on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest,” according to a statement from the Syrian side.

Photo: screenshot.