Just about a year after the United States removed the $10 million reward it had previously offered for information leading to his arrest: Syrian President al-Julani landed in Washington last night (Sunday) for his first official visit of his kind - in decades.
Tomorrow he is expected to meet with President Donald Trump.
Al-Julani, formerly the leader of Al-Qaeda in Syria, is donning a suit and outwardly presenting a more moderate and open image toward the Americans and the West, a move that marks a sharp change in the image of someone who was until recently considered one of the most wanted in the world.
American officials told Al Jazeera that the main purpose of the historic visit is to examine Syria's integration into the international coalition against ISIS, led by Washington.
The United States' special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, clarified: "This is an opportunity for new regional security cooperation.".
He noted that President Trump "may announce the establishment of an American military presence at an air base near Damascus as part of the understandings between the two countries.".
Al-Julani, for his part, is expected to request significant financial support for the reconstruction of Syria, after more than a decade of prolonged civil war.
According to the World Bank, the total cost of reconstruction could reach more than $216 billion.
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