Course Correction: Getting America’s Syria Strategy Right
Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has deep roots in the global jihad. But in power, he’s proven to be a ruthless pragmatist—ready to divert from extremist orthodoxy to garner desperately needed support from the United States and other key nations to rebuild Syria’s shattered state and society and ensure his own success.
From cooperating with U.S. Central Command to kill ISIS terrorists to fighting the influence of Iran and engaging in direct talks with Israel, Sharaa has shown himself ready to address a list of Washington’s top foreign policy priorities. Since May 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump has gone to significant lengths to bolster Sharaa by lifting sanctions—with the goal of encouraging the emergence of a new Syria that could serve as a viable partner in building a more stable Middle East on the ashes of an Assad regime that for half a century worked with America’s enemies to threaten U.S. interests.
Unfortunately, the administration’s singular focus on Sharaa’s external policies has largely blinded it to his approach on matters of internal governance which are fueling the longstanding fears of Syria’s major religious and ethnic minority groups and increasing the risk that Syria could violently unravel again in ways that would undermine and threaten U.S. objectives.
This new JINSA report, Course Correction: Getting America’s Syria Strategy Right, argues that U.S. policy toward Syria requires an urgent reset that, in addition to security concerns, also prioritizes addressing Sharaa’s destructive vision on issues of governance and the need for a less centralizing approach. It includes a number of specific recommendations for using the significant diplomatic, economic, and military leverage that the United States still wields to compel Sharaa to be the same ruthless pragmatist on questions of internal governance that he has proven himself to be on established U.S. security priorities in the region.
Note: All maps designed by JINSA using various sources.
Report Authors
John Hannah
JINSA Randi & Charles Wax Senior Fellow; Former National Security Advisor to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney
Rena Gabber
JINSA Research Associate