He was the infamous leader of the Islamist paramilitary, and now he is an important interlocutor of Trump, Mertz and Putin. Syrian head of state Ahmed al-Shara has something to offer everyone, but he also has his own demands.
There is no question of a routine visit. Syrian on Monday (November 10th), interim President Ahmed al-Shara will be the first ruler from Damascus to enter the White House to meet with an American president. Relations between the two countries were strained for decades, while Syria was ruled first by father and then by son from the informal Assad dynasty, writes Deutsche Welle.
Donald tramp met with Al Shar back in May, on his way to Saudi Arabia. The announced meeting in the Oval Room shows that these two think they are building the relations of the states on new foundations.
They want all sanctions lifted.
In May, Trump announced the lifting of sanctions against Syria, his spokeswoman said. As she clarified, this should give the country a "real chance for peace" because the authorities are making "good progress" in that direction.
Sanctions have already been largely lifted, but Syria is not yet part of the international financial system. "Al Shara will insist on that," says Bente Scheller, a Syria expert from Germany's Heinrich Bell Foundation. "It would be a great relief for Syria."
Al Shara is personally under the sanctions of the United Nations. Scheler assumes that Trump will be asked to intervene in order to abolish them. The United States has already prepared a corresponding draft resolution for the Security Council.
The Syrian president has been blacklisted since 2014 when he was the commander of the notorious Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This means a travel ban and the possibility of asset freezes.
Since the victory over the Assad regime, Al Shara is no longer a guerrilla commander but wears suits and meets important people. And, despite the sanctions, he travels. In September, before the UN General Assembly, he asked for a new relationship with Syria. The European Union has already lifted all sanctions.
And Trump will have his demands. Bente Scheller expects the head of the White House to insist on a coalition against the Islamic State and other jihadist groups. American troops are still present in northeastern Syria, reportedly around two thousand soldiers. Trump would like to reduce their number.
The idea is for the Syrian armed forces to be able to fight the Islamic State.
Merc is interested in deportations.
Al Shari is doing better and better on the international stage. A few days ago, the German chancellor invited him as a guest Friedrich Mertz. That Christian Democrat is primarily interested in the possibility of deporting citizens of that country who have committed crimes in Germany back to Syria.
This is being hotly debated in political Berlin. Merz's party mate, Foreign Minister Johan Wadeful, was in Damascus in early November and later expressed his suspicions. "People can hardly live with dignity here," he said, under the impression of the visit. This angered many of his party colleagues.
A tricky subject, says Bente Scheller for DW. Germany enjoys a high reputation among Syrians because it has received many refugees, she says. "That should not be jeopardized by concentrating primarily on deportations. Because that would also send a message that they are happy in Berlin if they get rid of refugees."
It would be better, Sheller continues, to focus on the reconstruction and stabilization of Syria. "Because the political future of the country largely depends on it."
Unclear relations with Russia
There are other topics where Al Shara is an important interlocutor. "Western European countries are very concerned about Russia not having a role in the future of Syria. Most politicians think that Russia should no longer have military bases in Syria," Scheller explains.
It is unclear what Damascus thinks about this. They did not cut ties with the Kremlin even after that total invasion of Ukraine. Al Shara was visiting the Russian president Vladimir Putin in mid-October.
According to the London Guardian, Putin was primarily interested in two Russian military bases in Syria - the port of Tartus and the airbase near Latakia. It is not clearly regulated how these bases will be used further and until when.
Al Shara, on the other hand, writes the Guardian, first of all wants to bring deposed president Bashar al-Assad and other leaders of the former regime who sought refuge in Moscow to court in Syria.
Second, Al Shara wishes for Russia's support against Israel, which has repeatedly struck Syrian territory in recent months.
In principle, Scheller says, the new Syrian authorities are looking to talk to everyone. "It shows a willingness to remain independent as much as possible and not throw yourself into the arms of one partner. Al Shara insists on flexibility."
