US and Syria to Discuss Joining Anti-ISIS Coalition During Upcoming Visit

US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced that Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to visit Washington, potentially marking a significant shift in Syria's relations with the international community. If the visit occurs, it would be Sharaa's second time in the United States, following his address to the UN General Assembly in New York in September. The visit is seen as an effort by Sharaa's transitional government to re-establish ties with world powers that had previously shunned Damascus.

Key Takeaways:

• Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to visit Washington, potentially joining the US-led coalition to defeat ISIS.
• This would be Sharaa's second visit to the United States, following his address to the UN General Assembly in New York in September.
• Sharaa's transitional government has made a series of foreign trips since seizing power from Bashar al-Assad in December, aiming to re-establish Syria's ties with world powers.
• Syria is not currently a member of the US-led coalition formed in 2014 to defeat ISIS.
• The US-led coalition, along with local partners, successfully drove ISIS from its last stronghold in 2019.
• The Assad regime's collapse has allowed ISIS to attempt a comeback in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Statistics:

• ISIS held approximately one-third of Syria and Iraq at its peak between 2014 and 2017.
• The US-led coalition and its local partners drove ISIS from its last stronghold in 2019.
• The Syrian interim government's efforts to re-establish ties with world powers have included multiple foreign trips by Sharaa since December.

Sources:

• Tom Barrack, US Special Envoy to Syria
• Reuters, article from June (source not provided)
• The Manama Dialogue in Bahrain
• United Nations General Assembly
• Saudi Research and Publishing Co. (SyndiGate Media Inc., ).