After years of war, Syria glances westward — toward Trump

President Trump has announced the beginning of sanctions being lifted on Syria, which had been imposed during the genocidal rule of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian people and their new leadership deserve a chance to rebuild their great nation. While the sanctions were still in place, the Syrian American Alliance for Peace and Prosperity invited us to visit post-Assad Syria at a very tenuous moment for the Syrian people. We agreed and set off on an open-minded, fact-finding mission. What we saw was daunting, but we ultimately we came away cautiously optimistic.

When we arrived in Damascus, we observed grown men openly weeping and others cheering as they saw their homeland for the first time in decades. For centuries, Syria had boasted a diverse, multicultural population, until the 54-year reign of the Assad regime. Assad leveled entire villages while waging war on his political enemies, inflicting billions of dollars of damage on his own country. In this political genocide, Assad murdered close to a million of his own people — Christians, Muslims, Kurds and Druze alike, regardless of religion — all while using military aid and financial support from Russia and Iran. 

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Iranian activities being curtailed through sanctions and the degradation of their terrorist proxies, support that had been vital to Assad’s reign dissipated. He was ultimately forced to flee to Russia as rebel forces advanced, although he regrettably was able to pilfer additional billions from the nation’s coffers on his way out the door.

During our visit, we witnessed the devastated Syrian economy, where cash is almost worthless and credit cards are not accepted. Open-air markets resort to basic barter and trade for items like clothing and necessities, which are laid out next to rubble. With no functioning gas stations, young men with large hand-held jugs stand along the road to fill vehicles for a price negotiated on the spot.

Despite this, the spirit of the Syrian people is not broken. Banners reading “Make Syria Great Again” were displayed along the roads, sending messages of hope for the first time in decades. We heard nothing but admiration for President Trump and his administration — most notably for his decision to stop the bombing of Idlib in 2019.

We then met individually with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, well aware of his previous history as a Syrian Al-Qaeda member, though having cut ties in 2016. However, contrary to his biography, the actions al-Sharaa has taken to help the country so far have been positive. 

Al-Sharaa has enlisted an impressive and diverse group of Syrian advisors, some of whom had fled the country years ago to escape Assad. His Minister of Social and Labor Affairs, Hind Kabawat, is an accomplished Christian woman, and not a choice one would expect from someone with prior ties to al-Qaeda. Just as surprising, one of al-Sharaa’s first acts upon taking power was to free thousands of Syrians that Assad had imprisoned and tortured. Al-Sharaa has declared a return to religious freedom, and during our visit, we witnessed a huge gathering of the Christian population for the first public celebration of Easter held in decades. 

In our meetings, al-Sharaa expressed a desire to work with the West. He called Israel by name and simultaneously emphasized his desire to promote peace and even possibly join the Abraham Accords. His commitment to avoid the often alluring proxy relationship with Iran is a testament to his desire to find more favorable partners. America is accustomed to being asked for funds and military support, but al-Sharaa wants Syrians defending Syria. His main request was for sanctions relief and for Syria not to be divided into regions. This is not only good for Syria, but a more stable western-leaning Syria provides a new layer of protection for America’s ally to the south, Israel.

He expressed the importance of having democratic elections, welcoming tourists of all faiths, and creating new trade routes, pointing to the country’s strategic location and its ability to allow faster transit of products to the West. He emphasized the necessity for post-conflict Syria to have an economic partner, pointing out that Russia has already made an offer, in addition to others like China and Iran making overtures; however, al-Sharaa has not yet accepted these. His clear preference is to make the U.S. the preferential trade partner, an opportunity Syria finally has for the first time in over 50 years.

Hearing al-Sharaa and the Syrian government express an interest in being a stabilizing force in the region for peace and prosperity is a moment in time we must consider carefully, and why we applaud President Trump’s decision to lift the sanctions on a war-weary Syria. For accountability, we also believe al-Sharaa must be willing to accept international investigations into the treatment of Syria’s religious minorities.

When a new leader opens the doors to his country without restriction while still weakened from decades of dictatorial destruction, and when he promotes religious freedom while simply asking for a chance to open trade with the West, we should explore what might be possible. We believe huge investments are waiting to rebuild this great nation. With Trump at the helm, this could be a monumental moment for unexpected peace in the Middle East.

Cory Mills represents the Florida’s 7th Congressional District and is a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees. Marlin Stutzman represents Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District.