Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Syria, warned in an interview with Al-Monitor published Tuesday that Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new Syrian president, could become a target for assassination by extremist militias increasingly opposed to the new regime.
“We need to coordinate a security system around al-Sharaa,” said Barrack, cautioning against the threat posed by radical foreign factions that once fought alongside him against Assad.
“The Syrian president is a brilliant man”
Barrack, who until recently served as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and now leads efforts to ease sanctions on Syria, described al-Sharaa as “brilliant and self-assured.” He noted that the Syrian president envisions a moderate Muslim society that safeguards the rights of minorities, including Alawites, Druze, and Christians.
Following a meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh last month, the U.S. announced the complete removal of sanctions on Syria — a dramatic shift from Washington’s long-standing policy. “That was classic Trump — ripped the band-aid off,” said Barrack.
According to him, there are no formal American conditions for lifting the sanctions, but there are “expectations.” These include combating Palestinian terror organizations, advancing toward joining the Abraham Accords, and fighting ISIS.
Barrack summed up the administration’s stance on Syria by saying, “We’re not in the business of nation-building. We just remove obstacles. We’re flooding the region with hope.”
Syria returns to the international stage
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year, the world is once again opening its doors to Syria, offering new opportunities for the country.
On Monday, the governor of Syria’s central bank, Abdulkader Husrieh, announced in an interview with the Financial Times that Syria will reconnect to the international SWIFT money transfer system within a few weeks.
Dubravka Šuica, the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, said that “Syria stands at a turning point,” with real potential for a transition to peace and stability.
