Donald Trump stopped in Qatar and continued his tour of the Middle East, marking the first official visit to the Gulf state of the US president.
But just before he jumped into Doha’s Qatar capital to board Air Force 1, Trump made history in a different way. He received his first meeting with Syrian new president, Ahmed Arshara.
Wednesday marks the halfway point on Trump’s four-day trip, including an opening stop in Saudi Arabia, closing in on Thursday in the UAE.
Like his other visits, Trump emphasized during his meeting with Syrian and Qatari leaders to expand his warming and business ties. But returning to the US homeland, Democrats raised concerns about how the personal interests of Republican leaders are leading his closed conversations.
Here are five key points from the Wednesday meeting and suspension:
Famous meetings in Saudi Arabia
Before leaving for Qatar, Trump took a sit-in with Syrian President Alshara, one of the most anticipated meetings of his entire trip.
It was the first time in almost a quarter century that Syria and the US leaders have met. And the meeting was extraordinary for several reasons. Until December, the US was offering a $10 million reward for the capture of Alshara.
Due to its past relationship with al-Qaeda, it continues to list Hayat Taharil al-Sham (HTS), an armed group that led as a “foreign terrorist organization” during the Syrian civil war.
However, since the HTS-led coalition overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December, the US has reevaluated the group’s relationship with its leadership.
The collapse of the Al-Assad government ended Syria’s nearly 13-year civil war, and Al-Assad (who has long been accused of human rights abuse) fled to Russia.
Leading on Wednesday’s meeting with Al Shara, Trump announced that he would lift sanctions against Syria during the leadership of Al Assad, a development that Al Shara’s government praised as a step towards economic benefits and stability.
On Wednesday, Alshara joined Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a face-to-face meeting, with Torquier President Recep Erdogan joining over the phone.
According to a White House read, Trump told President Alshara “he has a great opportunity to do something historic in his country.” He also encouraged Syria to expel “foreign terrorists” and “Palestinian terrorists” from the border and normalize ties with Israel.
The readout said that Alshara shared US interests in “countering terrorism and eliminating chemical weapons.” He also encouraged the US to invest in Syrian oil sector.
Later, when he boarded Air Force 1 for Qatar, reporters asked Trump to share his initial impression of Alshara.
“Great. I think it’s very good. A young, attractive guy. A tough guy. A strong past. A very strong past. A fighter. He has a real shot to put it together,” Trump replied.
Red carbonated acid arrives in Qatar
The glamour and circumstances have welcomed Trump through his trip to the Middle East to date, and his arrival in Qatar was no exception.
Even before the Air Force, and before landing in Qatar’s capital, Doha, the visit pageantry (the first international tour of Trump’s second term) was on full display.
As he enters Qatar’s outer space, White House communications advisor Margo Martin posted videos of F-15 fighter jets online on both sides of Air Force 1, “providing honor guards” to the president.
When he landed in Qatar, Trump greeted him. The country’s chief Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani was in hand to welcome him. And the ritual guards riding on a white horse and camel ran along with his vehicle as he was transported to the location of his state visit.
“We are extremely honored to welcome you here. We are very excited and very happy. It’s a historic visit,” Al Thani said. “I don’t know if you know that you are the first US president to officially visit Qatar, so we are extremely honored.”
Kimberly Halkett, White House correspondent for Al Jazeera, continues his journey as a US president, said the richness of Trump’s tour so far is his selling point to his domestic audience.
“Americans loved dignity and pageantry. They found it interesting to watch the state dinner with camels and watch the tea and coffee ritual,” Halkett said.
Even Trump marveled at the decorations inside Qatar’s government centre, Amiridiwan, calling the marble “Perfect O.”
Trades that boost trade and defense
Trump’s White House has described the president as “chief deal maker,” and so far on his four-day tour has culminated in the announcement of a major business deal with the United States.
A visit to Qatar on Wednesday was no exception.
The White House has announced that the US and Qatar have inked transactions worth at least $1.2 trillion, including major deals in which Qatar Airways purchases 210 aircraft from US company Boeing.
According to the government fact sheet, the transaction alone was worth $960 billion. Still, that was an adjustment from the higher figures Trump mentioned at $200 million during his trip.
“This is the biggest order of the jets in Boeing’s history. That’s pretty good,” Trump said when he signed the document with Emile Al Thani.
In his gesture to his fellow leader, Trump added: “We’ve been friends for a long time, long before politics.”
Other parts of the transaction included purchasing drone and anti-drone technology from US defense companies such as Raytheon and investments in the US energy sector.
“After signing these documents, I think we’ll go to another level of relationship between Qatar and the US,” Al Thani thanked Trump.
Trump issues Iran warning
Trump highlighted his warm ties with Gulf allies like Qatar, but he offered a more pointy statement to Iran, another powerful force in the region.
Since April 12, the US has been engaged in negotiations that are close to the week with Iran, the latest in Oman last weekend.
The subject of the consultation is reducing Iran’s nuclear program. Trump argued that Tehran’s government has long denied such ambitions, but hopes to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
At a state dinner at Qatar’s Lusail Palace, Trump pressured Iran to close negotiations.
“They have to move,” Trump said from his podium on the edge of the table.
“We want Iran to flourish, do well, succeed and be happy. We know a lot of Iranians who live in New York and Washington, DC. They are amazing people.
Trump repeatedly signaled optimism that he could reach a deal, but he suggested that tensions between countries like Iran, the US and Israel could be out of control.
“It’s a dangerous situation and we want to do the right thing,” Trump said. “We want to do something that will probably save millions of lives.”
During his first term, Trump was saved by Iran in exchange for pulling the US from his 2015 contract and limiting its nuclear program.
Democrats criticize conflicts of interest
Back in the US, Trump’s suspension in Qatar continued to raise eyebrows among his critics, especially in the Democrats.
Over the weekend before his trip, Trump faced reports that his Defense Department would embrace the gorgeous Boeing Jet, which calls the $400 million worth of luxury Boeing Jet from Qatar a “palaces of the sky.”
Such a gift would have been one of the greatest gifts in the history of the presidency. Critics warned that given the constitution’s emoluments clause, it raised ethical and legal concerns.
Still, Trump defended the idea on social media. He called the plane a “free gift” made “with a very public and transparent transaction.”
He also reported that he would use the aircraft as a personal transport aircraft after leaving the media. Sources have shown that the plane is likely to be abolished after Trump has stepped down and sent to his presidential library.
Finally, Jett was not mentioned in Wednesday’s meeting with Emir Al Thani. It is unclear whether the exchange will continue.
Nevertheless, the Democratic National Committee has announced that it plans to fly the banner to Trump’s Mar Lago residence in Florida, and is wrapped in the phrase “Qatar a Lago,” coinciding with the Qatar visit.
Air Force journalists pressed the president about another potential conflict of interest.
One reporter asked Trump about a deal where an investment company in the United Arab Emirates (the next stop on his tour) would buy large amounts of cryptocurrency from a company run by his family. The deal is reportedly worth $2 billion.
“I know nothing about it,” Trump replied. “But I’m a huge fan. I tell you, I’m short of the campaign from the beginning. I believe in codes.”
Trump is scheduled to travel to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday before returning to the United States on Friday.