Syria to Join US-Led Coalition Against ISIS, Trump Meets New Syrian Leader

Syria's New Role in Anti-ISIS Coalition

• 🎯 Syria is expected to join the US-led coalition to defeat ISIS, marking a significant policy shift.
• 🤝 This development follows a meeting between President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House.
• 🇺🇸 Syria joins approximately 89 other countries in this coalition.

Shifting US-Syria Relations

• 💡 The meeting signifies a potential step towards normalizing relations between the US and Syria.
• 💰 Decades of sanctions against Syria were lifted by the United States in a previous meeting in May.
• ⚠️ Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new leader of Syria, was previously on a US bounty list for $10 million.

Rebuilding Syria Post-Conflict

• 🏗️ Discussions may include efforts to rebuild Syria after its 14-year civil war.
• 💸 The estimated cost to rebuild the country is up to $216 billion.

Meeting Protocol and Optics

• 🤫 The Syrian leader's arrival and the bilateral meeting were conducted away from pool cameras, with no public photos of the leaders together.
• 🤝 Despite keeping the new Syrian leadership at arm's length, the US is willing to work with them to control ISIS in the region.

Presidential Pardons

• ⚖️ President Trump reportedly issued pardons for individuals accused of election interference related to the 2020 election.
• 📜 Pardoned individuals include Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sydney Powell, and Mark Meadows.
• 🚫 These pardons are largely symbolic as they are for federal crimes for which none of the individuals have been charged at the state level.