Donald Trump’s pick to oversee 18 intelligence agencies with a $100 billion spy budget is facing renewed scrutiny over an unannounced trip to Syria in 2017 where she met with the now-deposed dictator twice.

Tulsi Gabbard fields questioning from Sen. Martin Heinrich on Bashar al-Assad during her Senate confirmation hearing to be Director of National Intelligence on Thursday.

The new leadership of the country said the rebel coalition leader, Ahmed al-Shara, would serve as president during a transitional period.

The rebel chief who led the overthrow of the longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad has been declared the head of government for a transitional period.

The new government of Syria has demanded that the aggressor country of russia extradite former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who fled the country in

DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard provided additional details on her meeting with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017 while appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Sharaa, the leader of the main rebel group who led the overthrow of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, has been named Syria's transitional president, the country's military command announced on Jan. 29.

Among the topics likely to come up at the hearing: her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her friendly positions toward Russia and her push to drop charges against Edward Snowden.

A former rebel leader who helped defeat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month was named interim president of the country Wednesday.

DAMASCUS : Syria’s new authorities announced on Wednesday that Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took the helm after Bashar al-Assad’s ouster last month, has been appointed interim president and tasked with forming transitional legislature, state media reported.

The new Syrian administration has called on Russia to extradite former President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with negotiations between the two countries.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said discussions with a Qatari delegation in Damascus Thursday included reconstruction in the war-torn country, during the first visit by a head of state since Bashar al-Assad's ouster.