In a meeting held on Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump urged transitional Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara to take on crucial security and political responsibilities concerning the future of Syria and the region.
A statement from the White House emphasized that Trump “encouraged President al-Shara to adopt a leadership role for the Syrian people,” urging him to manage detention centers for ISIS fighters in Syria, which house thousands of militants and their families.
The statement also highlighted that Trump requested al-Shara to deport what he referred to as “Palestinian terrorists” residing in Syria, referring to the armed Palestinian factions that have been hosted by Damascus for decades, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command.
On a political note, Trump encouraged the transitional Syrian president to join the Abraham Accords, asserting that “normalization with Israel would be a positive step towards regional stability.