Not long ago, Ahmed al-Sharaa—better known by his alias Abu Mohammed al-Jolani—would have been arrested upon arriving in the United States. As the former leader of Syria’s al-Nusra Front, he had a $10 million bounty on his head for organizing multiple terrorist attacks across Syria, often targeting civilians.
But this week, after toppling dictator Bashar al-Assad in a swift offensive last December, he is being celebrated in New York. He is meeting with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly—the first Syrian head of state to do so since 1967.
“For many years we suffered injustice, deprivation, and oppression,” Sharaa said in his address, dressed in a tailored gray suit and burgundy tie. “Then we rose up to claim our dignity.”
He faces a difficult task at the UN: to present himself as a statesman who can ease concerns about his past, calm fears of sectarian violence, and handle delicate diplomacy with the United States and Israel—all while maintaining the hardline reputation that brought him to power.
The former militant’s arrival has created surreal scenes in New York. On Tuesday evening, one of the city’s most sought-after invitations was to an exclusive club in midtown Manhattan, where Sharaa spoke about his journey from jihadist to statesman in a “fireside chat” hosted by the Middle East Institute.
He has polished responses to doubts about his transformation: critics, he says, should not judge his past—including his time with al-Qaeda—without understanding the context. “Anyone who sees a child killed in the streets will revolt,” he said through a live Arabic translation. “The pressure pushed people to seek solutions with the means they had.”
A day earlier, he met with David Petraeus, the former CIA director and U.S. general who led multinational forces in Iraq while Sharaa was fighting and imprisoned there with other al-Qaeda members.
“It’s good that we were once in combat, and now we are in dialogue,” Sharaa said, smiling at his former enemy. “Someone who has been through war understands the importance of peace best.”
Privately, Trump administration officials acknowledge that the U.S. has no alternative to Sharaa’s leadership in Syria. They see him as the best hope for preventing a return to civil war. While urging him to moderate his statements about Israel and curb sectarian violence at home, they also worry about alienating him from his base and local allies.
“He’s jumping through hoops to show he can be a world leader, not just a fighter,” said one U.S. official who has met with Sharaa. “It’s all very carefully calibrated… So far, he’s pulling it off.”
At one point, Petraeus turned almost tenderly to the former head of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham—which was only removed from the U.S. terrorist list in July—and asked a more personal question: “How are you holding up under all this pressure? Are you getting time to think? Are you sleeping enough? I’ve been there, and it’s very, very hard. Your many fans—and I’m one of them—we worry.” The room at the Concordia Center broke into applause.
In public, Sharaa has said there is a chance for peace with Israel, but he also expressed that Syria is “scared” of Israeli foreign policy in the region. He rejected the idea of Syria joining the Abraham Accords to normalize relations, citing public anger over Israeli airstrikes in Syria and the war in Gaza.
Another key goal for Sharaa during his visit to New York is to…This week in New York, Syria’s foreign minister is urging the United States to lift sanctions on his country. Although Donald Trump ended some sanctions in June, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 would need to be repealed by Congress—a step that may not happen soon.
Before a meeting with Marco Rubio, the minister, Sharaa, was asked about removing the sanctions. He shrugged in the direction of the U.S. secretary of state, as if to say, “It’s not my decision—it’s his.”
“The Syrian people should not be harmed again by sanctions,” Sharaa said this week. “The Syrian people want to work. Lift the sanctions, and don’t worry about them.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the topic From alQaida to the Upper East Side Syrias new leader steps onto the global stage written in a natural conversational tone
General Beginner Questions
1 Who is Syrias new leader mentioned in the title
The title refers to Bashar alAssad the President of Syria After being isolated for years due to the Syrian civil war he is being reintegrated into the international community
2 What does From alQaida to the Upper East Side mean
Its a symbolic phrase AlQaida represents the era of conflict and terrorism Syria was associated with during the war The Upper East Side of Manhattan symbolizes highlevel diplomacy and global acceptance suggesting Assad is now engaging with world powers
3 Why is this happening now
Several factors are at play including a shift in global priorities a desire to stabilize the region and efforts by allies like Russia and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations with Assads government
4 Has the Syrian civil war ended
While largescale fighting has significantly decreased the war is not officially over Parts of the country remain outside government control and a formal political resolution has not been achieved
Advanced Detailed Questions
5 What was the main reason for Syrias international isolation before this
Assads government was widely condemned for its brutal crackdown on prodemocracy protesters in 2011 which sparked the civil war and for alleged war crimes including chemical weapons attacks on civilians
6 Which countries are leading the effort to bring Assad back onto the global stage
Key players include Russia Iran and Arab nations like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia who have recently restored diplomatic ties
7 What are the potential benefits of normalizing relations with Syria
Proponents argue it could help with reconstruction address humanitarian crises like refugee returns combat remnants of terrorist groups and create political stability in the Middle East
8 What are the common criticisms or problems with this normalization
Critics argue that normalizing relations without accountability
