8 hours agoFor the first time after Assad's fall, the new Syrian leader visits Saudi Arabia
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)Syria's interim president has made his first trip abroad to Saudi Arabia, in a move likely to be an attempt to signal Damascus's departure from Iran as the main regional ally. Ahmed al-Sahara, who was once in line with al-Qaeda, landed in Riyadh together [...]
Ahmed al-Sahara, who was once in line with al-Qaeda, landed in Riyadh along with his government's foreign minister, Assad al-Shaibani.
And it turns out that they both traveled on a Saudi plane.
Saudi state television echoed the fact that Sharia's first trip, first known as warrior Abu Mohammed al-Jolan, was in Riyadh.
The new three-star, tricolored Syria flag flew near the one in Saudi Arabia to the airport, while Shara, wearing a suit and tie, flew out of the plane.
He was scheduled to meet the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the kingdom on the journey.
It is reported that Saudi Arabia was one of the Arab states that “passed” in front of the rebel groups that tried to overthrow the former Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, after Syria's 2011 Arab Spring protests turned into a bloody blow.
However, its groups found themselves in a poor position, when Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, opposed the revolt in Syria, writes the GuardianHe's following in on Telegrafie.
But that changed with the lightning offensive of December led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Shara's (HTS).
The group was once linked to al-Qaeda, but has stated it has severed previous ties.
Sharia and HTS have carefully managed their public image since then, with the interim president favouring a military view similar to that of Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky.
Women have been appointed to roles, and Sharia has tried to keep in touch with the Christian population and the alaviite rain of Syria.
This also includes keeping Iran and Russia mostly in distance.
Iran has not yet re-opened its embassy in Damascus, which had been a key node in running operations through “the self-designed resistance lab” including Syria of Assad, Lebanon's Hezbo God militia and other partners.
Russia would like to preserve access to the air and sea bases it has in Syria, but acknowledged Assad when he left Syria.
By contrast, rebuilding the country after more than a decade of war is likely to cost hundreds of billions of dollars, not to mention covering the needs of Syria's people, millions of whom remain poor.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus in January and said Riyadi was “actively engaged in dialogue” to lift sanctions against Syria.
Saudi Arabia, unlike Shara's main allies in Turkey and Qatar, restored ties with Assad in 2023 along with most of the Arab world.
Meanwhile, Syria's provisional government still faces challenges from the Islamic State group and other militants in the country.
On Saturday, a bomb exploded in Manbij, a town in the province of Alepos of Syria, killing four civilians and injuring nine others.
