‘Stop This Terrorist’: Netizens Dig Up Old US Embassy Post As Rubio Meets Syria’s Al-Sharaa

Last Updated:September 23, 2025, 21:15 IST

A 2017 US Embassy Syria post labeling Hussein al-Sharaa a wanted terrorist resurfaces after Marco Rubio meets him in New York.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met on Sept. 22 with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York

An old post from the US Embassy in Syria, which had labelled the incumbent Syrian President and former Al-Qaeda chief Hussein al-Sharaa as a “wanted terrorist" in 2017, resurfaced on social media platforms on Tuesday after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met the Syrian leader in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

In the post, which has gone viral, the US embassy in Damascus accused al-Sharaa of carrying out multiple terrorist attacks throughout Syria, often targeting civilians. It had also declared a $10 million reward on al-Sharaa.

“Muhammad al-Jawlani, also known as Abu Muhammad al-Golani, also known as Muhammad al-Julani, is the senior leader of the terrorist organization, the al-Nusrah Front (ANF), al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria. Under al- Jawiani’s leadership, ANF has carried out multiple terrorist attacks throughout Syria, often targeting civilians. The U.S. Government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about al-Jawlani," the post had mentioned.

“This has not aged well," a user wrote on X

al-Sharaa-Rubio Talks

The US State Secretary and the Syrian leader discussed ongoing counterterrorism efforts in Syria — a move that highlights a potentially ironic shift in US–Syria relations.

In a post on X, Rubio said, “I met with Syrian President al-Sharaa about our shared goals for a stable and sovereign Syria and ongoing efforts to bring security and prosperity to all Syrians. We also discussed implementing President Trump’s historic announcement on sanctions relief and the importance of Israel-Syria relations."

“They discussed ongoing counterterrorism efforts, efforts to locate missing Americans, and the importance of Israel-Syria relations in achieving greater regional security," the US Department of State wrote about Rubio-Sharaa’s meeting.

Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa on Monday became the first Syrian leader to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in over 60 years. Al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday, leading a large delegation of Syrian officials, in what state media described as a “landmark trip", Al Jazeera reported.

Al-Sharaa had a meeting with United States President Donald Trump in May, the first such encounter between a Syrian president and a US president in 25 years, at a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

At the meeting, Trump said the US would drop all sanctions on Syria, which he subsequently did, and added that Washington was “exploring normalising relations with Syria’s new government".

News viral ‘Stop This Terrorist’: Netizens Dig Up Old US Embassy Post As Rubio Meets Syria’s Al-Sharaa

Read More