Jihadist who has become president of Syria seeks new allies

When Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara was seated at the head of a small rebellious enclosure in the northwest of the country, his alliances were simpler. Turkey was a supporter, while the Assad regime and Iran were its main enemies. The political support of other countries was welcome, but their financial aid was not essential to survive.

Since his rebellious coalition overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December, Mr. Al-Shara, who spoke to the New York Times this month, sailed more complex geopolitical waters. And that foreign support is not only welcome, it is essential to the survival of his government.

To bring the economy of Syria from the edge, he must persuade us and other Western officials distrust of his jihadist past to raise sanctions. To prevent the country from diving into the civil war, it needs military assistance to build a new army. And to prevent the government of the government and the country from moving on to total disarray, it needs foreign funding to pay the civil servants.

The case he presents to the West, in Europe and the rich Gulf monarchies is simple – the stability of Syria affects the whole Middle East.

“All chaos in Syria will damage not only neighboring countries, but the whole world,” Al-Shara said in a large interview in the capital, Damascus.