Overview
- U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack announced the planned White House reception during a security conference in Bahrain.
- Axios reported that Ahmed al‑Scharaa is expected to arrive on Nov. 10 and sign a statement to join the U.S.-led anti‑ISIS coalition.
- Neither the White House nor Damascus has issued a formal confirmation of the trip.
- The visit, if it proceeds, would be the first by a Syrian head of state to Washington.
- Al‑Scharaa once led Syria’s al‑Qaeda affiliate, which later split from al‑Qaeda and fought ISIS, as roughly 2,500 ISIS fighters remain active in Syria and Iraq.