Latest news with #MiddleEastProgram
CNBC
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CNBC
Iran has a 'very weak hand' at the moment, says Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour
Karim Sadjadpour, Middle East Program senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, Iran's nuclear program decisions, and more.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysis: After meeting Trump, Syria's new leader must prove his willingness, capability
BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's unexpected approach to Syria has presented a significant opportunity for the country's interim president, Ahmad Sharaa, to prove that he can overcome the enormous challenges he faces and lead the war-torn nation toward recovery and stabilization, political analysts and experts said. Trump's announcement of the cessation of U.S. sanctions, along with his meeting with Sharaa -- a former jihadist who, until recently, was on the U.S. most-wanted list with a $10 million bounty on his head -- marked a turning point and the beginning of a new chapter for Syria nearly six months after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad and his Baathist regime. With Assad gone, the sanctions were increasingly seen as only prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people and worsening the already catastrophic humanitarian conditions. Had the sanctions remained in place, Syria would have become a failed state, as it was just weeks away from financial collapse, according to Mouaz Mustafa of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. In an interview with PBS NewsHour, Mustafa warned that continued sanctions would have led to disastrous consequences for both the region and the world. With layers of sanctions in place since 1979, the process of lifting them remains unclear, and experts say it will take time. "There is a huge difference between deciding to lift sanctions and actually lifting them," Nanar Hawach, a senior Syria analyst for the International Crisis Group, told UPI. However, he said it would be "a game-changer" for the economy, giving the green light for the private sector and other stakeholders involved in Syria to step in and "be more bold." Since taking over after Assad's ouster, Sharaa has repeatedly called for the lifting of U.S. and other international sanctions to allow his country to breathe again. He understands that without funding and financial support, there is little he can do to put Syria back on track. Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the continuation of sanctions was hindering the country's ability to recover and move forward. Yacoubian noted that removing the sanctions would open the way for Gulf countries in particular to "do more" and channel more resources toward Syria's early recovery and stabilization, and eventually, reconstruction -- provided it is done "transparently and in a responsible way." However, Syria's problems will not be resolved simply by ending the sanctions. Sharaa is facing "very significant issues," including sectarian tensions, the need for transitional justice, and how to manage the more extreme elements of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS -- the group he led before becoming president -- as well as affiliated factions on which he continues to rely while trying to consolidate control. "So how will he use this newfound breathing space and the anticipated resources to consolidate his personal power, or rather to put Syria on a more sustainable path toward stability and, ultimately, peace?" Yacoubian asked rhetorically. She added that he will have to demonstrate a willingness to undertake complex processes related to transitional justice, inclusive governance, and national reconciliation. According to Hawach, Trump has given Sharaa "the benefit of the doubt," and the new leadership in Damascus will need to seize this opportunity to meet internal and external expectations. "How willing are they to take bold, risky steps such as distancing themselves from their radical base and expanding to include a broader range of constituencies?" he asked. "Are they prepared to take courageous actions to rein in or address the presence of foreign fighters? Would they focus on other issues, such as building institutional capacity or strengthening military capabilities?" Trump, who described Sharaa as an "attractive, tough guy," urged him to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel, expel foreign fighters from Syria, deport Palestinian militants, assist the U.S. in preventing an ISIS resurgence and take responsibility for ISIS detention centers in northeast Syria. What Syrians want most is a more inclusive national dialogue and political process, the formation of a national army and measures to address the fears of minority groups. Anas Joudeh, a political researcher and founder of the Nation Building Movement in Syria, said the first step would be for Sharaa to seriously engage with all of the country's constituencies, restart the national dialogue, adopt a new constitution, and form a more inclusive government. "We can't expect things to be perfect right now," Joudeh told UPI. "We will strongly support any move toward greater inclusivity, as the country is heading toward total economic and social collapse." He said the key to Syria's successful transition is the formation of a national army, which poses a "big challenge" for Sharaa. This includes absorbing the armed factions, addressing the foreign fighters who still maintain control in several areas and convincing the Druze, Alawites and Kurds to lay down their weapons. "But that would be very difficult if Sharaa keeps on [running the country] with the same mentality," Joudeh said. Sharaa will, therefore, need to address the concerns of the Druze, Alawites and Kurds, find solutions to mitigate feelings of existential threat, impose security and, ultimately, act not as a faction leader, but as the leader of the entire country, Hawach said. "If they decide to make positive steps towards these communities, this is the perfect time to do so," he added. He explained that with the possibility of accessing much-needed funds, the country can recruit for the army, establish better command control and gain more leverage to deal with armed factions that are not yet fully under the new authorities' control. Makram Rabah, a political activist and history professor at the American University of Beirut, said Trump's meeting with Sharaa will put more pressures on him to act as a political leader. "Lifting the sanctions sent a message not only to Sharaa but also to the Druze, Kurds and Alawites: that there is political cover, a form of settlement, and a need to work together," Rabah told UPI. "However, this is far from easy."
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Analysis: After meeting Trump, Syria's new leader must prove his willingness, capability
BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's unexpected approach to Syria has presented a significant opportunity for the country's interim president, Ahmad Sharaa, to prove that he can overcome the enormous challenges he faces and lead the war-torn nation toward recovery and stabilization, political analysts and experts said. Trump's announcement of the cessation of U.S. sanctions, along with his meeting with Sharaa -- a former jihadist who, until recently, was on the U.S. most-wanted list with a $10 million bounty on his head -- marked a turning point and the beginning of a new chapter for Syria nearly six months after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad and his Baathist regime. With Assad gone, the sanctions were increasingly seen as only prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people and worsening the already catastrophic humanitarian conditions. Had the sanctions remained in place, Syria would have become a failed state, as it was just weeks away from financial collapse, according to Mouaz Mustafa of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. In an interview with PBS NewsHour, Mustafa warned that continued sanctions would have led to disastrous consequences for both the region and the world. With layers of sanctions in place since 1979, the process of lifting them remains unclear, and experts say it will take time. "There is a huge difference between deciding to lift sanctions and actually lifting them," Nanar Hawach, a senior Syria analyst for the International Crisis Group, told UPI. However, he said it would be "a game-changer" for the economy, giving the green light for the private sector and other stakeholders involved in Syria to step in and "be more bold." Since taking over after Assad's ouster, Sharaa has repeatedly called for the lifting of U.S. and other international sanctions to allow his country to breathe again. He understands that without funding and financial support, there is little he can do to put Syria back on track. Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the continuation of sanctions was hindering the country's ability to recover and move forward. Yacoubian noted that removing the sanctions would open the way for Gulf countries in particular to "do more" and channel more resources toward Syria's early recovery and stabilization, and eventually, reconstruction -- provided it is done "transparently and in a responsible way." However, Syria's problems will not be resolved simply by ending the sanctions. Sharaa is facing "very significant issues," including sectarian tensions, the need for transitional justice, and how to manage the more extreme elements of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS -- the group he led before becoming president -- as well as affiliated factions on which he continues to rely while trying to consolidate control. "So how will he use this newfound breathing space and the anticipated resources to consolidate his personal power, or rather to put Syria on a more sustainable path toward stability and, ultimately, peace?" Yacoubian asked rhetorically. She added that he will have to demonstrate a willingness to undertake complex processes related to transitional justice, inclusive governance, and national reconciliation. According to Hawach, Trump has given Sharaa "the benefit of the doubt," and the new leadership in Damascus will need to seize this opportunity to meet internal and external expectations. "How willing are they to take bold, risky steps such as distancing themselves from their radical base and expanding to include a broader range of constituencies?" he asked. "Are they prepared to take courageous actions to rein in or address the presence of foreign fighters? Would they focus on other issues, such as building institutional capacity or strengthening military capabilities?" Trump, who described Sharaa as an "attractive, tough guy," urged him to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel, expel foreign fighters from Syria, deport Palestinian militants, assist the U.S. in preventing an ISIS resurgence and take responsibility for ISIS detention centers in northeast Syria. What Syrians want most is a more inclusive national dialogue and political process, the formation of a national army and measures to address the fears of minority groups. Anas Joudeh, a political researcher and founder of the Nation Building Movement in Syria, said the first step would be for Sharaa to seriously engage with all of the country's constituencies, restart the national dialogue, adopt a new constitution, and form a more inclusive government. "We can't expect things to be perfect right now," Joudeh told UPI. "We will strongly support any move toward greater inclusivity, as the country is heading toward total economic and social collapse." He said the key to Syria's successful transition is the formation of a national army, which poses a "big challenge" for Sharaa. This includes absorbing the armed factions, addressing the foreign fighters who still maintain control in several areas and convincing the Druze, Alawites and Kurds to lay down their weapons. "But that would be very difficult if Sharaa keeps on [running the country] with the same mentality," Joudeh said. Sharaa will, therefore, need to address the concerns of the Druze, Alawites and Kurds, find solutions to mitigate feelings of existential threat, impose security and, ultimately, act not as a faction leader, but as the leader of the entire country, Hawach said. "If they decide to make positive steps towards these communities, this is the perfect time to do so," he added. He explained that with the possibility of accessing much-needed funds, the country can recruit for the army, establish better command control and gain more leverage to deal with armed factions that are not yet fully under the new authorities' control. Makram Rabah, a political activist and history professor at the American University of Beirut, said Trump's meeting with Sharaa will put more pressures on him to act as a political leader. "Lifting the sanctions sent a message not only to Sharaa but also to the Druze, Kurds and Alawites: that there is political cover, a form of settlement, and a need to work together," Rabah told UPI. "However, this is far from easy." Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
16-05-2025
- Business
- UPI
Analysis: After meeting Trump, Syria's new leader must prove his willingness, capability
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (3-R) hosts a conference call between U.S. President Donald Trump (C), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R-C) and Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (2L) on Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined by phone. Photo by Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs/UPI | License Photo BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's unexpected approach to Syria has presented a significant opportunity for the country's interim president, Ahmad Sharaa, to prove that he can overcome the enormous challenges he faces and lead the war-torn nation toward recovery and stabilization, political analysts and experts said. Trump's announcement of the cessation of U.S. sanctions, along with his meeting with Sharaa -- a former jihadist who, until recently, was on the U.S. most-wanted list with a $10 million bounty on his head -- marked a turning point and the beginning of a new chapter for Syria nearly six months after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad and his Baathist regime. With Assad gone, the sanctions were increasingly seen as only prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people and worsening the already catastrophic humanitarian conditions. Had the sanctions remained in place, Syria would have become a failed state, as it was just weeks away from financial collapse, according to Mouaz Mustafa of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. In an interview with PBS NewsHour, Mustafa warned that continued sanctions would have led to disastrous consequences for both the region and the world. With layers of sanctions in place since 1979, the process of lifting them remains unclear, and experts say it will take time. "There is a huge difference between deciding to lift sanctions and actually lifting them," Nanar Hawach, a senior Syria analyst for the International Crisis Group, told UPI. However, he said it would be "a game-changer" for the economy, giving the green light for the private sector and other stakeholders involved in Syria to step in and "be more bold." Since taking over after Assad's ouster, Sharaa has repeatedly called for the lifting of U.S. and other international sanctions to allow his country to breathe again. He understands that without funding and financial support, there is little he can do to put Syria back on track. Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the continuation of sanctions was hindering the country's ability to recover and move forward. Yacoubian noted that removing the sanctions would open the way for Gulf countries in particular to "do more" and channel more resources toward Syria's early recovery and stabilization, and eventually, reconstruction -- provided it is done "transparently and in a responsible way." However, Syria's problems will not be resolved simply by ending the sanctions. Sharaa is facing "very significant issues," including sectarian tensions, the need for transitional justice, and how to manage the more extreme elements of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS -- the group he led before becoming president -- as well as affiliated factions on which he continues to rely while trying to consolidate control. "So how will he use this newfound breathing space and the anticipated resources to consolidate his personal power, or rather to put Syria on a more sustainable path toward stability and, ultimately, peace?" Yacoubian asked rhetorically. She added that he will have to demonstrate a willingness to undertake complex processes related to transitional justice, inclusive governance, and national reconciliation. According to Hawach, Trump has given Sharaa "the benefit of the doubt," and the new leadership in Damascus will need to seize this opportunity to meet internal and external expectations. "How willing are they to take bold, risky steps such as distancing themselves from their radical base and expanding to include a broader range of constituencies?" he asked. "Are they prepared to take courageous actions to rein in or address the presence of foreign fighters? Would they focus on other issues, such as building institutional capacity or strengthening military capabilities?" Trump, who described Sharaa as an "attractive, tough guy," urged him to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel, expel foreign fighters from Syria, deport Palestinian militants, assist the U.S. in preventing an ISIS resurgence and take responsibility for ISIS detention centers in northeast Syria. What Syrians want most is a more inclusive national dialogue and political process, the formation of a national army and measures to address the fears of minority groups. Anas Joudeh, a political researcher and founder of the Nation Building Movement in Syria, said the first step would be for Sharaa to seriously engage with all of the country's constituencies, restart the national dialogue, adopt a new constitution, and form a more inclusive government. "We can't expect things to be perfect right now," Joudeh told UPI. "We will strongly support any move toward greater inclusivity, as the country is heading toward total economic and social collapse." He said the key to Syria's successful transition is the formation of a national army, which poses a "big challenge" for Sharaa. This includes absorbing the armed factions, addressing the foreign fighters who still maintain control in several areas and convincing the Druze, Alawites and Kurds to lay down their weapons. "But that would be very difficult if Sharaa keeps on [running the country] with the same mentality," Joudeh said. Sharaa will, therefore, need to address the concerns of the Druze, Alawites and Kurds, find solutions to mitigate feelings of existential threat, impose security and, ultimately, act not as a faction leader, but as the leader of the entire country, Hawach said. "If they decide to make positive steps towards these communities, this is the perfect time to do so," he added. He explained that with the possibility of accessing much-needed funds, the country can recruit for the army, establish better command control and gain more leverage to deal with armed factions that are not yet fully under the new authorities' control. Makram Rabah, a political activist and history professor at the American University of Beirut, said Trump's meeting with Sharaa will put more pressures on him to act as a political leader. "Lifting the sanctions sent a message not only to Sharaa but also to the Druze, Kurds and Alawites: that there is political cover, a form of settlement, and a need to work together," Rabah told UPI. "However, this is far from easy."
The Intercept
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
Trump Said Syria Deserves a 'Fresh Start' — But U.S. Troops Aren't Leaving
President Donald Trump announced that his administration intends to lift wide-ranging sanctions on Syria during a speech on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. 'In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that will hopefully will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace,' Trump said. 'I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness.' Trump said that Syria deserves 'a fresh start.' That new beginning does not, however, include an end to the U.S. occupation of Syrian territory, according to the Pentagon. Around 1,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in the country. The U.S. military has been operating in Syria for many years as part of its complex and often muddled military efforts in the region. America's bases ostensibly exist to conduct 'counter-ISIS missions,' but experts say they are also as a check against Iran. The outposts have come under frequent attack in recent years and have also been targeted for thefts by militias and criminal gangs. Late last year, the government of Bashar al-Assad was toppled after a rapid offensive by rebel forces led by Syria's current interim president, Ahmed al-Shara. Last month, reports emerged that the U.S. was shuttering three of its eight small outposts in Syria. Experts say that withdrawing U.S. troops from a handful of bases in Syria is now long overdue and necessary to effect a real change in strategy and policy for the region. 'Over 1,000 U.S. troops remain stuck in Syria without a clear mission or timetable to return.' 'Lifting sanctions on Syria is a positive step — but sanctions aren't the only holdover policy from the Assad days that the U.S. should revisit,' said Rosemary Kelanic, the director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities, a think tank that advocates for more restrained U.S. foreign policy. 'Over 1,000 U.S. troops remain stuck in Syria without a clear mission or timetable to return. They're a legacy of the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, but that would-be 'caliphate' was defeated and lost all its territory over 5 years ago. It's time for those troops to come home.' When asked if the U.S. was planning a withdrawal of forces from Syria, a Pentagon spokesperson referred The Intercept to an April statement that announced 'the U.S. footprint in Syria' would drop 'down to less than a thousand U.S. forces in the coming months,' but would not end entirely. 'The Department of Defense continues to maintain a significant amount of capability in the region and the ability to make dynamic force posture adjustments based on evolving security situations on the ground,' the statement reads. On Wednesday, Trump spoke for about half an hour with al-Shara, whom he called a 'young, attractive guy.' Trump also referred to the Syrian president's 'strong past' and called him a 'fighter.' Al-Shara is designated as a terrorist by the U.S. government for his former affiliation with Al Qaeda. Trump also encouraged al-Shara to 'tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria'; help the U.S. prevent the resurgence of ISIS; and sign on to the Abraham Accords, a 2020 Trump-brokered pact that established formal ties between Israel and four Arab countries, among other recommendations, according to a statement on X by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Fear of an ISIS revival has been the long-standing argument for keeping U.S. troops in Syria. Kelanic pointed to the recent history of Afghanistan as an argument against claims that the U.S. needs to have boots on the ground to counter any ISIS resurgence. 'The big argument against the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was that we would see a resurgence of terrorism from al-Qaeda or ISIS. But the U.S hasn't been targeted by terrorism from Afghanistan,' Kelanic told The Intercept. 'The U.S. has detected plots by ISIS-Khorasan, which operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Iran and Russia and warned those countries ahead of time. We're able to still detect what's going on with extremely sophisticated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities without having boots on the ground.' The White House did not respond for a request for comment concerning the continued U.S. troop presence in Syria. A recent investigation by The Intercept found that U.S. troops in the Middle East have come under attack close to 400 times, at a minimum, since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, according to figures provided by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Central Command. This amounts to roughly one attack every 1.5 days, on average. 'Having these troops in Syria … It's like we're giving them hostages to take if they see fit.' The strikes, predominantly by Iranian-backed militias and — prior to a ceasefire signed last week — the Houthi government in Yemen, include a mix of one-way attack drones, rockets, mortars, and ballistic missiles fired at fixed bases and U.S. warships across the region. These groups ramped up attacks on U.S. targets in October 2023, in response to the U.S.-supported Israeli war on Gaza. 'About 200' of those attacks have been on U.S. bases, according to Pentagon spokesperson Patricia Kreuzberger. Around 50 percent occurred in Syria. 'Having these troops in Syria puts them at risk of retaliation from Iran and others,' said Kelanic. 'It's like we're giving them hostages to take if they see fit, without there being a particularly compelling reason for these troops to be there.'
