Fall of the Assad dictatorship as symbolic as fall of Berlin Wall, says US congressman - interview - Amichai Stein

 

by Amichai Stein

In the interview with the Post, Wilson spoke about the new Syria he witnessed and the opportunities that lie ahead.

 

US Rep. Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack.

(photo credit: Rep. Joe Wilson's Office)

 

The fall of the Assad regime can be compared to the collapse of the Berlin Wall, according to US Rep. Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina).

“Who would have imagined on November 9, 1989, that the Berlin Wall would fall?” he said Wednesday in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. “The fall of the Assad dictatorship is just as symbolic – and just as significant.”

 

On Tuesday, Wilson returned from Syria, where he met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, along with US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire).

 

In the interview with the Post, Wilson spoke about the new Syria he witnessed and the opportunities that lie ahead.

 

“The good news is, it’s no longer Assad the dictator,” he said. “Al-Sharaa is committed to building a country that doesn’t support terrorism or threaten Israel. He wants to create a unified state, and that’s good for both Syrians and Israelis.”

A torn poster showing former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the Sayyida Zaynab district in Damascus, Syria, December 14, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/AMR ALFIKY)

Wilson, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed confidence that Damascus is on the brink of a historic transformation – one that could reshape the Middle East and potentially pave the way for peace with Israel.

 

“We know President al-Sharaa’s background, okay? But people can change,” he said, referring to Sharaa’s past association with al-Qaeda. “President al-Sharaa wants to work with the West. He’s been given a choice – to side with war criminal [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, with Tehran, with Beijing – or to join the West, and I believe he’s choosing wisely.”

Sharaa envisions a unified Syria that breaks from its legacy of terrorism

According to Wilson, Sharaa envisions a unified Syria that breaks from its legacy of terrorism and authoritarianism. He said his meeting with Sharaa, which was held at the presidential palace in Damascus, emphasized the symbolic shift under way.

 

“He welcomed us into what used to be Assad’s office,” he said. “The dictator is gone. His currency is still here” – he added while holding up a banknote with Assad’s picture – “but the regime is changing.”

 

There is real potential for advancing peace talks between Syria and Israel, Wilson said.

“Israel must continue negotiations with President al-Sharaa,” he said. “Tom Barrack, who mediates between Israel and Syria, is a phenomenal intermediary. This is personal, and it’s possible.”

 

Israel also would need to take steps in any agreement, Wilson said.

 

“We want the people of Israel to succeed,” he said. “But it can’t happen if Syria remains fragmented; that would lead to perpetual conflict. There should be a withdrawal of forces with guarantees and conditions. So, it has to be conditions-based, all right?”

 

“You can’t have fragmented states and not understand that that opens the door for ISIS,” he added.

 

Sharaa is doing everything he can to protect the Druze community in Syria, Wilson said.

“He’s already ordered an investigation into the recent attacks,” he said. “He’s doing everything possible to protect them, and if any government officials or military personnel were involved in the attacks, they’ll be removed.”

 

The discussions with Sharaa also touched on the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states, Wilson said.

 

“Can you imagine? The Abraham Accords being mentioned in Damascus – that would’ve been unthinkable under Assad,” he said.

 

While acknowledging that it is still early, Wilson said the door was now open.

 

“These things can be discussed,” he said. “Assad’s regime would never have allowed it. Now, there’s an opportunity – despite ongoing interference from war criminal Putin.”

 

With the UN General Assembly scheduled to convene later this month, Wilson said the Trump administration is working behind the scenes to achieve preliminary understandings between Jerusalem and Damascus.

 

“President Trump wants to give Syria a chance,” he said. “He truly is a president of peace.”

Syria had been one of the few countries not to condemn US action against Tehran’s nuclear program, and that was “noteworthy,” he added.

 

“With hard work and mutual understanding, a new Syria is possible, and with it, a real chance for peace in the region,” Wilson said.

Amichai Stein

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-866260

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