Daijiworld Media Network- Baghdad

Baghdad, May 13: In a move that has stirred fresh diplomatic ripples across the Middle East, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will not attend the upcoming Arab League Summit in Baghdad, Syrian state media confirmed on Monday. His absence follows a political firestorm triggered by Iraq’s invitation to the former rebel commander-turned-leader.

According to Syria's state-owned Ekhbariya TV, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani will lead the Syrian delegation to the summit on Saturday, which is expected to primarily address the ongoing Gaza crisis and reconstruction efforts. However, no official reason was cited for Sharaa’s decision to abstain from the event.

Sharaa, once a senior militant figure, gained notoriety for his involvement with Al Qaeda in Iraq following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Detained for over five years before being released due to insufficient evidence in 2011, he went on to establish the Al Qaeda offshoot in Syria, later evolving into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—the group that played a pivotal role in ousting former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Though Sharaa has since transitioned into a political role and secured diplomatic recognition from Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, his legacy remains controversial—particularly in countries like Iraq, where sectarian divisions still simmer.

The invitation extended by Iraq’s Prime Minister to Sharaa sparked backlash among Shi’ite factions, many of whom accuse him of orchestrating violent attacks against Shi’ite communities during his years as an insurgent. A petition signed by at least 57 Iraqi lawmakers called for Sharaa to be barred from the summit, with speculation swirling over a potential arrest warrant—claims Iraqi authorities have denied.

In contrast, Sunni political blocs in Iraq viewed Sharaa’s potential participation as a step toward rebalancing Iraq’s foreign alignment—away from Iranian influence and closer to Sunni-majority Arab states. “There are elements working against Iraq’s progress to reclaim its rightful place within the Arab community,” said Raad al-Dahlaki, leader of the Azm Alliance.

Security concerns may also have contributed to Sharaa’s withdrawal. Sources close to the Syrian government suggest that his safety could not be guaranteed in Iraq, where residual hostility towards him remains palpable. “It’s not going to be easy for [his critics] to digest, nor for the Syrian secret service to disregard those threats,” noted Syrian analyst Mahmoud Toron.

As the region’s shifting alliances continue to take shape in a post-Assad era, Sharaa’s complex past—marked by militancy, imprisonment, and now political ascendance—remains a symbol of Syria’s fractured path back into the Arab fold.