President Trump bucked critics in his administration and security hawks in Israel in his decision to lift sanctions on Syria and embrace its new leader, a U.S.-designated terrorist who formerly had ties with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group (ISIS).

President Donald Trump said the US would explore normalizing relations with Syria after the toppling of longtime autocrat Bashar al-Assad, adding to a pledge to lift sanctions against the country’s new government.

Shara, who once led a branch of Al Qaeda, was the first time in 25 years that the leaders of the United States and Syria had met.