Economist Podcasts Rebel with a new cause: meeting Syria’s president
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Feb 4, 2025 Zani Minton-Beddoes, Editor-in-chief of The Economist, and Nicholas Pelham, Middle East correspondent, engage with Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's new transitional president. Al-Sharaa shares his unexpected journey from jihadist to ruler, hinting at a vision for Syria's future yet withholding key details. The conversation touches on skepticism surrounding promised democratic reforms, the challenges of post-conflict recovery, and the complicated landscape of foreign investments. Addressing Syria's dire state, they emphasize the urgency for economic revival amid ongoing insecurity.
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From Jihadist to President
- Ahmed al-Shara, Syria's transitional president, was a former jihadist leader.
- He led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which ousted Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Al-Shara's Vision
- In his first interview as president, al-Shara promoted an "inclusive" vision for Syria.
- Doubts remain about his true ideology and whether he has genuinely changed.
Al-Shara's Path to Power
- Al-Shara dropped out of media studies to become a jihadist in Iraq.
- After American imprisonment, he joined ISIS, returned to Syria, and led HTS.