Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Washington Post: "Fighting for Noble Goals is Not Shameful" – Justifying His Past and Seeking US Coordination for Unity

In a move signalling a radical shift in the Syrian and regional political landscape, the new Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, addressed his past as a former leader in an Al-Qaeda affiliate who was subject to US sanctions. This was revealed in an exclusive interview with The Washington Post.

The interview with Al-Sharaa took place in Washington during a visit described as "historic." This trip caps a pivotal year in which he transitioned from armed opposition to the seat of power following the overthrow of his predecessor, Bashar al-Assad. His goal is to unify and rebuild Syria after years of devastating conflict.

Following Washington's decision to lift sanctions on Al-Sharaa, The Washington Post posed a direct question: "Why should we lift sanctions on a man who was fighting against the United States?"

Al-Sharaa defended his record, stating: "First and foremost, fighting is not a shameful thing if it is done for noble goals, especially if you are defending your land and people suffering from injustice." He continued: "I think this is a good thing that people should be praised for. I fought many wars, but I never caused the death of an innocent person," emphasizing that anyone engaging in combat must possess a "very strong moral background."

Western Policies and Rebuilding Ties:

The Syrian President contended that the entire region "has been affected by Western and American policies," noting that "today we have many Americans who agree with us that some of these policies were mistakes and that they caused a lot of needless wars."

Al-Sharaa revealed that the most important goal of his trip to Washington was to "start building the relationship between Syria and the United States," asserting that the relationship had not been good over the past century. He elaborated: "We were looking for common interests between the two countries, and we found that we have a lot of common interests we can build on, such as security and economic interests."

Al-Sharaa also linked regional stability to the lifting of sanctions, adding: "Syria's stability will affect the whole region, and its instability will also affect the region. Stability is connected to the economy, and the economy or economic development is connected to lifting sanctions. This discussion has been ongoing for months now, and I believe we have reached good results, but we are still waiting for the final decision."

Unifying Syria and Countering ISIS:

Addressing the new authorities' efforts to combat ISIS, the Syrian President noted that they fought a "difficult and grueling" war against the organization for 10 years, accomplished "without coordination with a Western power or any other country," asserting that "Syria today is capable of bearing this responsibility."

Regarding foreign military presence and the issue of division, Al-Sharaa warned that "keeping Syria divided, or having any military force not under the control of the government, represents the best environment for ISIS to flourish." He proposed a pivotal solution, suggesting that the "best solution is for the US forces in Syria to oversee the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the government forces. The mission of protecting Syrian territory will then be the state's responsibility."