President Donald Trump heaped praise on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Sharra is a former al-Qaeda commander who fought against the US during the Iraq War.

“He’s done a really fantastic job as president. He’s unified the country in a very short period of time. I’d say like a year and a half, about a year and a half, and right from the beginning it was a real mess, very disjointed place, and he’s brought it together,” Trump told reporters at a press conference with Sharaa on Wednesday. “He’s a strong person. He’s a great leader. He’s respected by everybody, including me, and we’re proud to have him.”

Sharaa, who formerly went by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, joined al-Qaeda after the 9-11 terror attacks. Jolani became a commander in the Islamic State after he was released from an American torture prison in Iraq.

After splitting with ISIS leadership, Sharaa formed the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, HTS. Sharra’s jihadist militia overran Syrian government forces in November 2024, and Sharaa was installed as President in Damascus.

Since taking power in Syria, Israel and some US officials have advocated for Sharaa to send his jihadist fighters into Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. Trump left open the possibility in remarks he made during the presser with Sharaa. “They could help. We’ll find out. I think we’re making a lot of progress,” he said.

Sharra’s forces have committed massacres against ethnic minorities in Syria, including Alawites and Druze.