As the former U.S. Ambassador to Syria from 2010 to 2014, Ambassador Robert S. Ford discussed the current crises in Syria and Iraq, the Obama Administration’s strategy for fighting terrorism in the region, and the role of social media and digital diplomacy in the war against ISIS.
Since joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1985, he has been posted throughout the Middle East and Africa in Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, and Cameroon. From 2001 to 2004, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bahrain and Political Counselor to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 2004-2006. Prior to Syria, he served in Algeria as the ambassador from 2006-2008. Currently, he is Senior Fellow at The Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.
The conversation was moderated by Frank Sesno, Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs.