The U.S. special envoy to Syria, Thomas Burke, has warned that opponents of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa—also known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani—may attempt to assassinate him. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Burke, who also serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said: “We need to coordinate protection around al-Sharaa.”
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US envoy Thomas Burke meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa
(Photo: Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout)
“Al-Sharaa’s efforts to promote inclusive governance and build ties with the West may make him a target for extremists,” Burke said in the interview with the American-Arab news outlet. “We need to deter potential attackers,” he added, noting that this would require “close cooperation and intelligence sharing among America’s allies, rather than military action.”
Former President Donald Trump previously lifted U.S. sanctions on Syria and held a historic meeting with al-Sharaa. Burke said that the longer Syria’s economic recovery takes, the more likely it is that opponents of the regime will try to disrupt the process al-Sharaa is leading.
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Last month, following Trump’s meeting with al-Sharaa, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed Syria’s ongoing instability, warning that the interim government established after the fall of Bashar Assad could collapse within weeks. He cautioned that Syria may be heading toward another civil war.
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US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa
(Photo: Saudi Royal Palace / Bandar al-Jaloud)
The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa marked a dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward Syria, following the defeat of Assad and a civil war that lasted 14 years. The last time an American and Syrian president met was in 2000, when Bill Clinton and Hafez Assad held talks in Geneva. Trump’s decision to lift sanctions was intended to give Syria a fresh start and a path to recovery.
Commenting on Syrian-Israeli relations, Trump’s envoy said: “We hope that al-Sharaa and Israel will maintain a quiet understanding that a military confrontation now would be disastrous for both sides. I’m confident that our interests and al-Sharaa’s are aligned. He’s smart and knows what he’s doing.”