The Media Line: ‘I Mourn Every Victim’: Syrian President Responds to Questions Regarding His al-Qaida Past, Sept. 11

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‘I Mourn Every Victim’: Syrian President Responds to Questions Regarding His al-Qaida Past, Sept. 11

Syrian political analyst Firas Habib: “Trump sees al-Sharaa as a negotiable partner, especially after the shift in regional power balances and the decline of some international actors’ influence within Syria.”

By Rizik Alabi/The Media Line

[Damascus] Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sparked a wave of political analysis following his recent appearance on Fox News after meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. The main focus of these discussions related to his previous connections to al-Qaida, his ideological involvement in the jihadist movement before assuming power in Syria, and his stance on the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States.

During the interview, al-Sharaa stated that “the matter of previous links with al-Qaida is part of the past and was not a topic of discussion during his talks with President Trump,” emphasizing that the dialogue between the two parties focused primarily on “the possibility of investing in Syria’s future and transforming it into a stable state that is no longer considered a threat to regional or international security.”

When asked whether he regrets the Sept. 11 attacks, al-Sharaa stressed that he “has no direct connection with them,” adding: “I mourn every victim, whether in the United States, Syria or anywhere in the world.” This response sparked varied reactions, with some seeing it as an attempt to distance himself from confrontational rhetoric toward the West, while others viewed it as an effort to reshape his international political image.

The White House meeting coincides with significant political developments, as President Trump signed a decree on July 1 to lift almost all of the US unilateral sanctions on Syria, excluding those against former President Bashar Assad and associated individuals. The two leaders discussed lifting sanctions against Syria on May 14 in Riyadh, marking the first time in 25 years that a US president has attended a high-level meeting with a Syrian leader.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa is a controversial figure. Before officially entering political life, al-Sharaa played a prominent ideological role in the Salafi jihadist movement during the 1990s. According to several researchers, his focus was on the ideological rather than military sphere of groups linked to al-Qaida during that period, before eventually announcing his disengagement from those circles and moving toward a national path within Syria.

Dr. Samer al-Mallah, a Damascus-based researcher on Islamic groups, told The Media Line that al-Sharaa “represents a unique transitional case from an ideological activist framework to an international political role,” noting that “this transformation was not only the result of intellectual reassessment but also a consequence of regional changes that required a reordering of alliances and choices.”

Al-Mallah indicates that al-Sharaa’s recent statements reflect “a determination to close the page on the past by sending clear messages to the West, affirming that Syria in the new phase is not part of historical axes of hostility, but a player seeking to consolidate its position within a new international system.”

Syrian political analyst Firas Habib told The Media Line that “these statements come at a sensitive moment, as Washington seeks to reorganize its relations in the Middle East after years of transformations and conflicts.” He added, “Trump sees al-Sharaa as a negotiable partner, especially after the shift in regional power balances and the decline of some international actors’ influence within Syria.”

Habib believes that al-Sharaa’s focus on “Syria’s economic future” rather than security issues may be intentional, opening the door to broader understandings and possibly to US or Gulf investments in Syria in the coming years.

Meanwhile, Syrian journalist Ghada Houria believes that the United States seeks to “gradually reintegrate Syria into the international relations framework, but in a way that ensures it does not return to previous alliance axes.” She added in a conversation with The Media Line: “Lifting sanctions is a political step with strategic dimensions, not merely a humanitarian or economic initiative.”

Dr. Abdul Latif Sallo, an expert on al-Qaida and extremist groups, told The Media Line that al-Sharaa “is not addressing Washington only, but also the Arab and Islamic public who have followed his career for decades.” He noted that al-Sharaa “is attempting to reinforce a narrative that his previous affiliation with the jihadist current was intellectual, not organizational, and that he did not support cross-border operations such as the Sept. 11 attacks.”

Sallo added: “This rhetoric aims to create internal reconciliation within the Syrian fabric, especially since there are segments that regarded him as a symbolic figure for an entire generation of religious youth in the early 2000s.”

In light of recent developments, it appears that the relationship between Damascus and Washington is poised to enter a new phase, though its features have not yet been fully clarified. The concurrent meetings with the lifting of sanctions indicate a long-term political project, not merely a symbolic gesture.

However, the path remains complex, as regional and international calculations intersect, along with internal conflicts that require comprehensive national reconciliation.

Nevertheless, experts agree that al-Sharaa’s recent statements, as controversial as they have been, have opened a wide door to reconsidering political, security, and identity equations in Syria and the region.