US President Donald Trump and Syria’s time leader Ahmad al-Sharaa are seen together in a photo released by the Saudi Royal Palace on May 14, 2025 in Riyadh. ( Pic credit: AP )
A contentious 2021 film of al-Sharaa has resurfaced electronically, reigniting anger, less than a week after US President Donald Trump met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former leader of Al Qaeda and ISIS. Al-Sharaa, then known as Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani, publicly expressed his delight over the 9 / 11 terrorist attacks, which claimed the lives of almost 3, 000 people in the US in a now-viral picture from a rare meeting with US broadcaster PBS. The meeting was broadcast as part of the June 1, 2021 show of Frontline’s” The Jihadist.” When asked about his personal response to the September 11 problems, al-Sharaa responded that “anyone who lived in the Islamic or Muslim world at the time of 9/11, and said he wasn’t happy about it, would be lying,” which was widely spread across social media platforms. Some people criticized the affirmation as “disgraceful” and” an affront to every honest life lost in the attack.” Trump praised al-Sharaa for showing guarantee and claimed that he had a “real chance of doing a great job” leading Syria, branding the original terrorist-turned-head of state as “young, interesting, and tough guy” with a “very solid past.” Trump even announced the raising of all US sanctions against Syria, which have been in place since 1979, in a serious move for what he described as a “reward” for the Palestinian people and their new command. The growth has sparked a contentious conversation in Washington and elsewhere, with some accusing Trump of promoting a figure that was once designated by both the US and the UN as a global criminal. Up until December, Al-Sharaa had a$ 10 million bounty on his head.
