Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani's confirmation that Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara has been invited to the Arab Summit in Baghdad next month has caused controversy in Iraq, particularly among Iran-backed factions.
The reason behind the furore lies in the Syrian President's past links with Al Qaeda in Iraq, where he served as a senior field leader for the terrorist group in fighting American and Iraqi troops after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Mr Al Sudani confirmed Baghdad had invited Mr Al Shara to the Arab Summit during a discussion at the Sulaimani Forum in Sulaymaniyah in Iraq on Wednesday.
“Yes, a formal invitation has been delivered to him, and he is welcome to attend and participate in the Arab Summit,” Mr Al Sudani told The National’s Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi.
Mr Al Shara was one of thousands of foreign fighters who went to Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion, mainly through Syria. He was arrested by American forces in 2005 and imprisoned until 2011. He then returned to Syria and formed an Al Qaeda-affiliated rebel group fighting against the Iran-backed regime of former president Bashar Al Assad. He broke ties with Al Qaeda in 2016 and created Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), which took power in Damascus last December in a rebel offensive that toppled Mr Al Assad.
Memories are still raw among many Iraqis of the Sunni-led insurgency in which Mr Al Shara took part after the 2003 invasion.
The outcry over his invitation is led by Iraqi Shiites, mainly pro-Iran political factions and the Iran-backed militias who fought alongside Mr Al Assad's forces during Syria's 13-year civil war.
Shiite legislator Yousif Al Kilaby called on Mr Al Sudani to “reflect on your actions before it is too late”.
“Iraq – fragrant with the blood of martyrs, the laments of bereaved and the moans of the wounded – will not welcome the terrorist Al Jolani,” Mr Al Kilaby added, using Mr Al Shara’s previous nom de guerre.
Lawmaker Falih Al Khazali said: “Iraq is a hub for Arab dialogue and we will not accept Baghdad becoming a safe heaven for the terrorist Al Jolani. The blood of the martyrs is still fresh.”
Iran-backed Shiite militias have been publishing the official documents of Mr Al Shara's arrest and imprisonment by US troops, along with photos and videos of him pledging allegiance to Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri, who was killed in a US drone strike in Kabul in 2022.
Ordinary Iraqis have also expressed their anger in posts on social media. “You are not welcome, you killer of Iraqis and Alawites,” Sara Ali wrote on X, alongside an image showing Mr Al Shara with blood-stained hands in front of a blood-stained Iraqi flag.
She was referring to the killing last month of hundreds of members of the Alawite community, to which Mr Al Assad belongs, in Syria's coastal region by HTS-linked security forces and allied groups. The killings began after supporters of deposed Syrian dictator attacked security forces of the new government.
Mr Al Shara's government has received widespread support from countries in the region and the West, who have promised to help with the post-war rebuilding of the country while also stressing the need to protect Syria's various religious and ethnic minorities.
The Syrian leader was named among the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine this week. In a note accompanying his listing, former US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, noted that Mr Al Shara "balances between militants he once led and liberal Syrians relieved Assad is gone. Observers are left to wonder if Al Shara is an Islamist extremist whose moderate poses are only ploys for temporary political gain, or if he’s more a pragmatic politician who exploited extremist groups to gain power."
Speaking at the Sulaimani Forum on Wednesday, former US assistant secretary for near eastern affairs, Barbara Leaf, said Mr Al Shara's handling of security challenges would reveal his "real colours".
The annual meeting of Arab League leaders on May 17 will be the first to be hosted by Iraq since 2012. It comes at a critical time for the region, as Israel's war on Gaza continues and Iran and the US hold talks in an attempt to reach a deal on nuclear issues and broader regional understanding.
“The summit is a significant event that suits Baghdad,” Mr Al Sudani said. “We will be discussing important developments.
“This confirms the return of Baghdad to a pivotal role,” he added, stressing that Iraq is not part of any regional bloc and that the continuing Iran-US talks would “definitely reflect positively on Iraq and the wider Middle East”.
