The Global Story: The rehabilitation of Syria’s ex-jihadist president
Global News Podcast
BBC
4.2 • 7.8K Ratings
🗓️ 9 November 2025
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
After getting the red-carpet treatment at the UN in New York last week, the former al-Qaeda fighter who now leads Syria is about to hold an election. But is Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, really about to transition the country into democracy? Or does he have other plans? The BBC's senior international correspondent Orla Guerin joins us from Damascus, where she’s been speaking to Syrians about the country’s future.
With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts. . Producers: Cat Farnsworth and Valerio Esposito Executive producer: James Shield Mix: Travis Evans Senior News Editor: China Collins
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:05.8 | Hey there, I'm Asma Khalid. |
| 0:07.9 | And I'm Tristan Redmond, and we're here with a bonus episode for you from the Global Story podcast. |
| 0:13.4 | On Monday, the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Shara, is in Washington, and he'll be visiting the White House. |
| 0:18.7 | Now, if you remember, Al-Sharahar became president of Syria |
| 0:21.7 | after Bashar al-Assad's regime was overthrown about a year ago. |
| 0:25.9 | But what's notable about Al-Sharahar is that he was previously a member of Al-Qaeda. |
| 0:32.3 | He left the organisation in 2016, |
| 0:34.6 | but last week, the UN Security Council voted in favour of a US resolution |
| 0:40.0 | to lift sanctions against him. About a month ago on The Global Story, we did an episode about |
| 0:45.9 | Al-Sharahar and about Syria's first elections since Assad's fall and since Al-Sharahar came to power. |
| 0:53.2 | Now, these elections were a landmark moment in Syria. |
| 0:57.0 | On the one hand, they were the first serious elections that Syria's had in many decades, |
| 1:01.7 | but they've also faced criticism for favouring well-connected people in the country rather |
| 1:07.4 | paving the way for actual democratic change. So we hope you enjoy this episode. And to find more of our show, just search for the global |
| 1:16.5 | story wherever you get your BBC podcasts. |
| 1:21.9 | Please join again in welcoming President Ahmed Al-Shara to the stage. |
| 1:28.7 | Last week in New York, we saw the new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Shara, appear on stage alongside |
| 1:35.2 | David Petraeus. These two men have every reason to hate each other. |
| 1:40.4 | Because the fact is that we were on different sides when I was commanding the surge in Iraq. |
| 1:46.2 | You were, of course, detained by U.S. forces for some five years, including, again, when I was the four-star there. |
| 1:54.5 | And here you are now as the president of Syria. |
... |
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