ISLAMABAD: Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa sat for an interview with former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director David Petraeus in New York earlier this week.

Petraeus, who led US forces during the Iraq War, had once overseen the capture and imprisonment of al-Sharaa between 2006 and 2011.

Once a militant leader opposing the US presence, Al-Sharaa founded the al-Nusra Front in 2012 to fight President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Initially aligned with al-Qaeda, the group severed ties in 2016 and merged into Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in 2017, with Al-Sharaa as leader.

HTS was designated a terrorist group by the US in 2018, but that designation was revoked in July 2025 following Assad’s ouster and a shift in US policy. Al-Sharaa, who led the campaign that toppled Assad in late 2024, became Syria’s interim president in January 2025. A $10 million US bounty on him was lifted in December 2024.

A symbolic exchange

The interview with Petraeus took place on the sidelines of the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit, a global affairs forum held in parallel with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The forum is known for convening political leaders, business executives, and civil society organizations to promote public-private collaboration and dialogue.

Taking the stage together, both al-Sharaa and Petraeus acknowledged the unusual nature of their conversation.

Petraeus concluded his interview with these remarks: “We thank you for sharing your vision today. We wish you strength and wisdom in the difficult work ahead. We obviously hope for your success, inshallah, because at the end of the day, your success is our success.”

Al-Sharaa at UN

Al-Sharaa's appearance at the UN General Assembly marked a historic moment: he is the first Syrian head of state to attend the assembly in nearly 60 years.

His delegation arrived in New York on Sunday, and his schedule included meetings with various international representatives, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On Monday, he addressed events held on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

The Concordia Summit itself is a prominent event, having hosted more than 300 speakers and thousands of participants from over 100 countries in previous years. Past attendees include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, former US President Joe Biden, and billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett.

Articles tagged with "David Petraeus"

Al-Sharaa interviewed by former CIA director who arrested him