Trump’s meeting with Syrian leader sparks fresh attention on old US terror post

Trump’s meeting with Syrian leader sparks fresh attention on old US terror post

In 2017, the US Embassy in Syria issued a social-media post naming Ahmed al-Sharaa as a terrorist, a label that now seems to clash with current US diplomacy. The post remains online and has recently gone viral after al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump in Washington, a meeting that marked the first visit by a Syrian head of state to the White House since Syria’s independence in 1946.

The resurfaced tweet, which included a “Rewards for Justice” poster offering a bounty, highlights the extraordinary turnaround in US policy toward Syria. At the time of the posting, al-Sharaa was identified with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which is a group tied to the al-Qaeda and was subject to US sanctions. His presence in Washington now, welcomed by high-level US officials, has reignited controversy over the classification and long-term strategy regarding Syria.

Diplomacy overtakes designations

The shift is part of a broader recalibration of Washington’s stance toward Syria. In recent months the US revoked the “foreign terrorist organization” designation for HTS and ended key sanctions, paving the way for formal engagement with al-Shraa’s government.

At the White House meeting, Trump described the talks as constructive and forward-looking, while al-Sharaa framed the meeting as a start of a new partnership. The leap from being publicly branded a terrorist to a guest of the US president within eight years sets an unusual precedent in international relations.

Why the old post still matters

The 2017 tweet’s viral comeback underscores the tensions between symbolism and strategy. For many observers, the lingering online annotation stands as a reminder of how quickly foreign-policy positions can pivot. One user described the unchanged post as “crazy” in light of current diplomacy.

Experts say that although no bombs dropped and no laws changed overnight, the incident highlights the complexity of counter-terrorism, diplomacy and reconstruction efforts. Lee Man-jong, president of the Korean Terror Studies Association, noted that “even messages from years past can paralyse institutions today”, a line of thinking that applies across conflict-affected regions.

Looking ahead

As the US and Syria enter what appears to be a new chapter of engagement, the old tweet serves as a digital artifact of past policy. Whether the shift represents pragmatic step-by-step realignment or an abrupt turnaround remains to be seen. For now, the meeting between Trump and al-Shraa invites scrutiny and questions about the consistency of America’s approach to global security and alliances.