Syrian President al-Sharaa sits down with US general who arrested him

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and retired four-star US general David Petraeus have acknowledged the peculiarity of the situation taking to the stage at a political forum in New York City for an interview.

Since January, Al-Sharaa has been in office since he overthrew Bashar al-Assad and ended his family’s 50-year rule of Syria in a fierce military offensive.

Petraeus commanded US forces during their invasion of Iraq, which in turn led to the US’s capture and imprisonment of al-Sharaa in 2006 and 2011. Petraeus later held the position of CIA director.

Al-Sharaa founded the al-Nusra Front in Syria in 2012 in response to his release. It cut ties with al-Qaeda four years later. Al-Sharaa led the formation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formed a year later when al-Nusra and other organizations merged.

HTS was labeled a “terrorist organization” by the US in 2018, citing past ties to al-Qaeda, which the US revoked in July as Washington relaxed its policy toward post-Assad Syria.

Only in late December, the US lifted al-Sharaa’s head, which had been a $10 million bounty.

timing and venue significance

Al-Sharaa, the first head of state from Syria in almost six decades, made the trip to New York on Sunday to take part in the UN General Assembly.

The leader addressed events on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Monday and the president and his large delegation met, including with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

He then took part in the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit, a global affairs forum that brings together world leaders, business executives, and NGO figures to promote public-private partnerships and dialogue alongside Petraeus.

More than 3, 600 people from 112 nations and nine heads of state were among Concordia’s more than 300 speakers last year, according to Concordia’s report from last year. Antonio Guterres, the head of US business, Warren Buffett, and Joe Biden, the former US president, are among the potential participants.

Why does Petraeus support al-Sharaa?

The former US general praised al-Sharaa, who has set an October deadline for parliamentary elections in Syria, by not only acknowledging the odd pairing but also using it.

According to Petraeus, his transition from an insurgent leader to head of state has been one of the most dramatic political transitions in recent Middle Eastern history.

He later inquired about the Syrian leader’s health and asked if he was getting enough sleep later in the interview. According to Petraeus, al-Sharaa has “many fans” and is one of them.

When asked about their history, al-Sharaa said, “We used to be in combat, but now we move on to discourse,” adding that those who have experienced war are aware of the value of peace.

The Syrian president said, “We cannot judge the past based on the laws of today, and we cannot judge the world based on the laws of today.”

Al-Sharaa, who referred to his time as a commander of al-Qaeda, said that “perhaps there were mistakes” before, but what’s important right now is preventing instability for the Syrian people and the region.

“We are sitting here among allies and friends, and our commitment to that line is what brought us here today in [New York].

Al-Sharaa claimed that he thought his cause was “noble” and merited support.

He claimed that the al-Assad regime had caused chaos in Syria this year and that “all parties made mistakes, including some of the government,” during the violence.

He continued, noting that all violators would be prosecuted by a newly formed council.

He claimed that the new government’s support for economic growth and Syria’s unification are now top priorities.

In this context, he once more requested that the US Congress revoke the 2019 Caesar Syria Civil Protection Act, which outlaws Syria.

The president reiterated his commitment to safeguarding Syria’s minority populations, including the northern Kurdish population, whose constitutional rights must be upheld. He added that the government and its army must be the only entity with guns and that Kurdish armed forces must not operate outside of the state’s purview.

The Syrian leader also mentioned Israel, citing that it has attacked Syria more than 1, 000 times since al-Assad’s fall and continues to occupy the Golan Heights.

Source: Aljazeera