Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa didn't take office through an election. He took it after a dominant military victory. His forces swept into Damascus last winter, ending Bashar al-Assad's decades-long rule and installing a transitional government with himself at the top. But for all the baggage he brings with him, as a former rebel commander, a onetime affiliate of jihadist networks, and a man who once ruled Idlib with an iron grip, there's a strange twist to the story: He wants in.

Not only into Damascus, but into the world.

From every credible indication, al-Sharaa is trying to internationalize Syria, economically, politically, and diplomatically. He's lobbying for trade, courting Western governments, and talking openly about modernization, transparency, and inclusion. This isn't window dressing for foreign cameras. It's a strategic reorientation, and by all appearances, he means it.

But meaning it and achieving it are different things. And on that front, Syria's new president has a challenge.

The institutions that surround him weren't built for reform. They were built to........

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