President Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates during a four-day diplomatic visit this week. His first stop, in Saudi Arabia, made that destination his first official state visit of his second term.
In a historic speech from Saudi Arabia, President Trump announced the United States would remove sanctions against Syria imposed on the previous regime "in order to give them a chance at greatness" following years of civil war.
After ruling for 50 years, Syria’s brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad was pushed out late last year by radical Islamists. The group that replaced al-Assad, called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, is led by a former ISIS member named Ahmad al-Sharaa (pictured below). He is now interim president.
Back in March, AFN reported HTS was massacring thousands of Syrians including a small Islamic sect, called Alawites, who were loyal to al-Assad.
Brigitte Gabriel, who leads ACT for America, tells AFN she was “very surprised” when President Trump announced he was lifting sanctions. Then she was “even more surprised” when he met Ahmad al-Sharaa, who is recognized by the U.S. as a terrorist.
Why would Trump reach out to Syria and shake hands with al-Sharaa?
“I think what the president is doing with Syria is they are trying to bring Syria into the fold,” she observes. “They do not want the resurgence of an Islamic state in Syria."
After Trump’s announcement about Syria and sanctions, its foreign minister told state media lifting the sanctions "represents a pivotal turning point for the Syrian people." He also said Syria is ready to build relations with the United States "based on mutual respect, trust and common interests."
Another possible goal for Trump, Gabriel reasons, is the U.S. president is keeping an eye on the Iranian regime.
“Remember that Iran has its tentacles in Syria,” she says. “And what President Trump is trying to do right now is to make sure that this hole in Syria is not filled by bad actors.”
Bob Maginnis, a national security analyst, mirrored Gabriel’s observation about Syria and Iran in comments to AFN this week.
“Trump's efforts vis-a-vis Syria are meant to encourage that regime to abandon its long history with Iran and to encourage it to move toward regional harmony,” Maginnis said.
Maginnis also pointed out President Trump has vowed Iran will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. With that promise in mind, the Iranian regime is learning there is a “new sheriff in town” who will back up his threats if diplomacy with Iran fails.
According to Gabriel, military assets are being put in place already if negotiations with Iran are unsuccessful.
"While Trump supposedly is negotiating with the Iranians, we already have the third aircraft carrier on its way to the Gulf … and also he already sent the bombs to Israel," she states. "So, everything is getting ready to go. When the time comes, we are prepared to do the attack and destroy the Iranian nuclear sites."
Gabriel argues that Trump knows what he is doing in negotiating with Iran; and that the Iranians are only coming to the negotiating table because they are stalling in order to complete their nuclear bomb.
