Yet the mere return of a Syrian leader to the world stage is not the most astonishing part of his appearance. This transformation is what the world will witness when Sharaa attends the United Nations on Wednesday. His 11-day campaign ended Syria’s 14-year civil war, a conflict that had ravaged society, displaced millions, and drawn in regional powers. Most Syrians cheered the end of the Assad family’s 50-year dictatorship, and exiles began planning returns after Sharaa’s victory. “This is the biggest plot twist in history,” is how Syrian journalist Loubna Mrie described the recent changes in Syria.