Robert Ford served as the last U.S. Ambassador to Syria. He arrived in the country right before the protests began there in 2011 and he was witness to the beginnings of the civil war. In 2012 he was pulled out over security concerns, but he continued to work on the crisis in Syria back in DC until 2014, when he left the Foreign Service. Robert Ford now lives with his wife Alison in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, which is about as far from the Middle East as you can get. We met in his living room on a rainy day last week, right after the chemical attack in Syria and right before Trump’s military response. We talked about his personal experience in Syria and the role of diplomacy in the Middle East.
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From the veteran barber to the last US ambassador to Syria, St Johnsbury, people of unexpected backgrounds call St. Johnsbury home. Thank you for this thoughtful interview with someone who has dealt up close with one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. I greatly appreciated Ambassador Ford’s explanation of why the Trump administration’s reliance on a military solution will not fully address the Syrian crisis. The social, political and economic dimensions reflect on us all. May the ambassador’s talks around the state encourage more Vermonters to think critically about these issues and how we understand international conflict.
Fascinating interview. Thank you.
Wonderful, thoughtful interview. Would that the new administration would listen to our professional diplomats who have been our eyes and ears on the ground for years.
Thank you Ambassador Ford for your service to our country and humanity.
A must-listen for anyone who wishes to understand what’s at the core of myriad “foreign policy” (read: human rights) issues: the origin of the Syrian conflict, the US intervention (or lack thereof), the current administration’s strategy (or, again, lack thereof) or the role of the US government in Syria and the greater Middle East.
Ford is a humble, honest, direct, person who demonstrates real compassion in telling an unsparing story of the callous unwillingness to value human life.
One of your best interviews to date.