US wants to remove Syria as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ | Story

President Trump announced the withdrawal from Syria, citing Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to unite the country.

The United States has said it will remove Syria’s designation as a “state sponsor of terrorism”, a decades-old label that has severely restricted funding, in a new vote of confidence in President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

“This is another historic step for President Trump to give the Syrian people a big chance,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. words published on Wednesday. The long-awaited move will become effective in 45 days unless lawmakers act to stop it.

This happened when President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Turkey with al-Sharaa, a former rebel who wanted to present himself as a conciliator after the fall of 2024 of the al-Assad family, who led the repressive government for half a century.

“Lifting sanctions on Syria will open up international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open a new chapter for the Syrian people,” Rubio said. “A stable, united Syria in peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the whole world”.

Trump’s embrace of al-Sharaa comes despite suspicions from Israel, which has been launching airstrikes on Syria, one of its adversaries.

The US president has previously publicly pushed for Syria to make peace with Israel, but has continued to push through the decision despite no apparent progress.

Syria is in desperate need of financial aid to rebuild after years of brutal war that has fueled the ISIL (ISIS) terrorist group and created a massive refugee crisis.

Meeting in Ankara with al-Sharaa, who has traded his war fatigues for a suit, Trump said, “He’s doing an incredible job of unifying Syria.”

“Syria messed up what was done by the previous administration,” Trump said.

Trump’s initial lifting of sanctions was confusing, as Syria was still considered a “state sponsor of terrorism”, meaning that businesses faced legal threats within the US if they operated in the country.

Rubio said the withdrawal decision came after he “assured” al-Sharaa that “Syria will not cooperate with international terrorist groups in the future.”

If Syria is removed, only three countries will remain on the “terrorist” list – Iran, North Korea and Cuba. Cuba became a point of contention with the Trump administration at the end of his first term as he pressured the communist-led island.

The United States has listed Syria as a “state sponsor of terrorism” since 1979.

Under ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his late father, Hafez, Syria was a stronghold of the Palestinian Authority, and Damascus is said to have been involved in events such as the 1986 attempted bombing of an Israeli El Al airliner.

In recent years, Syria’s “terrorist” label has become increasingly associated with al-Assad’s ties to Iran and support for Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militia.

Last month, Trump suggested that Syria, under al-Sharaa, could attack Israel in a war to destroy Hezbollah. Al-Sharaa denied any intention to intervene militarily in Lebanon, where Syria has been for years under the al-Assads.