"Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in the United States for an official visit, according to state media, during which Washington hopes to enlist Damascus in its global coalition against ISIL, or ISIS. Al-Sharaa's arrival in the US capital came late on Saturday as Syria's Ministry of Interior announced launching a large-scale security operation across the country, targeting ISIL cells."
"Al-Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. It is the first such visit by a Syrian president since the country's independence in 1946, according to analysts. Al-Sharaa, who had met Trump for the first time in Riyadh in May, was removed from a US terrorist sanctions list on Friday."
"Washington is also preparing to establish a military presence at an airbase in Damascus to help enable a security pact that the US is brokering between Syria and Israel, according to the Reuters and AFP news agencies. For his part, al-Sharaa is expected to seek funds for Syria, which faces significant challenges in rebuilding after 13 years of brutal civil war. The World Bank has estimated that the cost of reconstruction could take at least $216bn, a figure that it described as a conservative best estimate."
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Washington for an official visit as Syria launched a large-scale security operation targeting ISIL cells across the country. Al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump, marking the first visit by a Syrian president since 1946. Al-Sharaa was removed from a US terrorist sanctions list and his group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was delisted by Washington in July. The United States hopes to enlist Damascus in the international coalition against ISIL and is preparing a military presence at a Damascus airbase to support a security pact with Israel. Al-Sharaa is expected to seek substantial reconstruction funding, with the World Bank estimating costs of at least $216 billion.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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