When the world gathers in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly, the city becomes a stage for dialogue, diplomacy and global ambition.

But this year, that stage is overshadowed by a deeply uncomfortable reality: Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa — a man whose political and militant roots are tied to al Qaeda and its affiliates — will be walking the same streets that still bear the weight of Sept. 11, 2001.

I remember that day with painful clarity.

At the time, I was the Washington bureau chief of a London-based Arabic daily, standing on the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue as chaos gripped the capital.

Staff were rushing out of the Old Executive Office Building, terrified that another hijacked plane was headed toward the White House. 3

As an immigra

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