This is John Batchel, a conversation with Colonel Jeff McCausen, my colleague CBS News, about the

decision by the President of the United States, the Trump administration, to lift all sanctions on

Syria. Mostly, they were about the Assad regime, and that's over, to shake the hands of a man

named Al-Shara, formerly Al-Jalani, several other Norm de Gueres,

a cutthroat, a leader of cutthroats once upon a time. And now, in a blue suit, naming himself the

president of Syria. Mr. Trump does him a favor, so does MBS, Muhammad bin Salman, the crown prince of

Saudi Arabia.

And Al-Shara, Europe, watched carefully.

Rebuilding Syria is a task for the whole region so that the Syrians who fled beginning in 2010

can return to their homeland from Europe, where they are disorganized and

unhappy.

Much more of this tonight.

Here's Jeff.

I think it's potentially good news, but once again, it would surprise the Israelis who had

privately counseled Mr. Trump

and the administration. They were very much opposed to removing sanctions on the Syrians.

And, of course, since the Civil War came to an end with the collapse of the Assad regime,

the Israelis have occupied a substantial portion of Syrian territory beyond the buffer zone

created in 1973

and conducted extensive airstrikes all across Syria in an effort to destroy any residual

weapons stockpiles, particularly chemicals and nuclear weapons.

And now we see the President of the United States publicly acknowledging this president

...