Robert Stephen Ford

{{About|an American diplomat|other people named Robert Ford|Robert Ford (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Robert Stephen Ford

| image = Robert Stephen Ford US State Dept photo.jpg

| caption = Ford ({{circa}} 2011)

| alt =

| order =

| ambassador_from = United States

| country = Syria

| term_start = January 27, 2011

| term_end = February 28, 2014

| president = Barack Obama

| predecessor = Maura Connelly

| successor = Daniel Rubinstein
(as Special Envoy)

| ambassador_from2 = United States

| country2 = Algeria

| term_start2 = May 30, 2006

| term_end2 = June 26, 2008

| president2 = George W. Bush

| predecessor2 = Richard W. Erdman

| successor2 = David D. Pearce

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1958}}

| birth_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S.

| alma_mater = Johns Hopkins University

| spouse = Alison Barkley

| party =

| profession = Diplomat, Career Ambassador

| blank1 =

| data1 =

| order2 = 13th

}}

Robert Stephen Ford (born 1958) is a retired American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Algeria from 2006 to 2008 and the United States Ambassador to Syria from 2011 to 2014.{{cite news|author = Gordon, Michael R.|author-link = Michael R. Gordon|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/01/world/middleeast/american-envoy-to-syria-steps-down.html?ref=world|title=American Envoy to Syria Steps Down | work = The New York Times|date= February 28, 2014|accessdate= April 28, 2014}}

Personal life and education

Ford is from Denver, Colorado{{cite news |first=Borzou |last=Daragahi |title=Progress and Pain Marked Envoy's Tenure in Iraq |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-03-fg-ford3-story.html | work = Los Angeles Times |date= June 3, 2006 |access-date= February 3, 2010}} and now lives in Maryland.{{cite web |title=Biography: Robert S. Ford (archive.org) |url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/70946.htm |publisher=U.S. State Department |date= August 21, 2006 |accessdate= February 3, 2010 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080411134402/http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/70946.htm |url-status=dead |archivedate = April 11, 2008}} He earned a Bachelor of Arts in international studies and a Master of Arts in Middle East studies and economics from Johns Hopkins University. In addition, he pursued advanced Arabic studies at The American University in Cairo.

In addition to English, Ford speaks German, Turkish, French, and Arabic. A senior advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq described Ford as being "regarded as one of the best Arabists in the State Department".{{cite web |title=Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2004/06/mil-040612-dod01.htm |publisher=GlobalSecurity.org |date= June 12, 2004 |accessdate= February 3, 2010}}

Ford is married to Alison Barkley, who is a fellow diplomat.

Career

=Earlier career=

A career member of the United States Foreign Service, he entered the service in 1985 and has been stationed in İzmir, Cairo, Algiers and Yaoundé.

Ford served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bahrain from 2001 until 2004, and Political Counselor to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 2004 until 2006.

=Algeria=

He was nominated for the position of U.S. Ambassador to Algeria by U.S. President George W. Bush on April 13, 2006. The nomination was sent to the U.S. Senate on April 24 and confirmed on May 27. Ford was sworn in on August 11. He served in the Algiers post until June 26, 2008.{{cite news|title=Bouteflika Re-Appoints Ouyahia as PM|url=http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=26586|newspaper=Middle East Online|date=June 24, 2008|access-date=January 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403012118/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=26586|archive-date=April 3, 2012|url-status=dead}}

=Syria=

In 2010, U. S. President Barack Obama nominated Ford as the first U.S. Ambassador to Syria in five years (pending U.S. Senate approval).{{cite news |title=US Nominates First Ambassador to Syria in Five Years |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8496300.stm |work= BBC News |date= February 3, 2010 |accessdate= February 3, 2010}} In December 2010, after the U.S. Senate failed to act on the nomination, Obama used a recess appointment to secure Ford the position.{{cite web|last=Phillip|first=Abby|url=http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0411/a_useful_guy_528d2a43-3845-42b3-a9d1-c07b41fbf2fb.html |title=Ford in Spotlight Amid Syria Revolt |publisher= Politico |date= |accessdate= July 23, 2011}} The Senate then confirmed Ford by unanimous consent on October 3, 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/galleries/pdcl/ |title=U.S. Senate Periodical Press Gallery |accessdate=August 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502100722/https://www.senate.gov/galleries/pdcl/ |archivedate=May 2, 2012 }}. United States Senate.{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/10/syria-us-ambassador-robert-ford-confirmation.html| title=U.S. Senate Approves Robert Ford as Ambassador| work= Los Angeles Times | date=October 4, 2011}}

On October 24, 2011, Ford was recalled from Syria; the U.S. State Department cited "credible threats" to his safety.{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/us-brings-ambassador-ford-home-syria-citing-threats/story?id=14803174|title=U.S. Brings Ambassador Ford Home from Syria, Citing Threats to Safety|publisher=ABC News|last=Radia|first=Kirit|date=October 24, 2011|accessdate=October 24, 2011}} Ford had attracted the ire of pro-Assad Syrians due to his strong support of the Syrian uprising. According to American officials, Ford had been attacked by an armed pro-government mob, and Syrian state television had begun running reports blaming him for the formation of death squads similar to those in Iraq. This led to fears that supporters of the Syrian government might try to kill him.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/24/world/meast/syria-us-ambassador/index.html|title=U.S. Pulls Envoy from Syria over Safety Concerns|publisher=CNN|date=October 24, 2011|accessdate=October 26, 2011}}

In August 2013, it was reported by The New York Times that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had recommended that Ford serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, following the incumbent ambassador, Anne W. Patterson, being nominated to serve as the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs{{spaced ndash}} the head of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs within the U.S. Department of State, which oversees the Middle East.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/05/world/middleeast/kerry-picks-former-syria-envoy-as-ambassador-to-egypt.html?_r=0 | work= The New York Times | author = Gordon, Michael R. | author-link = Michael R. Gordon | title=Former Envoy to Syria Said to Be Choice for Cairo Post | date=August 4, 2013}}

On February 4, 2014, officials of the U.S. State Department said that Ford was retiring[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-crisis-usa-ambassador-idUSBREA131NE20140204 "U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford to retire: sources"]. Reuters. February 4, 2014. and on February 28 announced his departure.Staff (February 28, 2014). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160118082322/http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-syria-crisis-usa-idUKBREA1R1ZM20140228 "U.S. Names Larry Silverman as Temporary Point Man on Syria"]. Reuters. Retrieved June 6, 2014.

The U.S. States Department announced the appointment of Daniel Rubinstein as U.S. special envoy for Syria on March 14.Staff (March 17, 2014). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-syria-envoy-idUSBREA2G0W420140317 "U.S. Names Envoy to Replace Retiring Ambassador to Syria"]. Reuters. Retrieved June 6, 2014.

In December 2018, Ford declared his support for President Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, describing it as "essentially correct."{{cite news |last1=Ford |first1=Robert S. |title=Opinion {{!}} Trump's Syria decision was essentially correct. Here's how he can make the most of it. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/even-without-troops-the-us-can-still-have-influence-in-syria/2018/12/27/757582b8-0a08-11e9-85b6-41c0fe0c5b8f_story.html |accessdate=December 28, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 27, 2018 |language=en |quote=the president should view the hullabaloo that erupted after he announced the Syrian pullout as an opportunity to take a number of steps to make the most of his essentially correct, but widely unpopular, move.}}

==Actions in Syria==

He visited Hama, where he was cheered by protesters.{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/low-key-us-diplomat-transforms-syria-policy/2011/07/12/gIQAc5kSBI_story.html| title=Low-Key U.S. Diplomat Transforms Syria Policy| newspaper= The Washington Post |author= Sheridan, Mary Beth | date= July 12, 2011}}

He met with Hassan Abdul-Azim, and was attacked with eggs and tomatoes by government supporters.{{cite news| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/29/robert-ford-tomatoes_n_986712.html | work= The Huffington Post | title=Robert Ford, U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Pelted with Tomatoes | date=September 29, 2011}}{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/09/syria-us-ambassador-ford.html| title=Syria: U.S. Ambassador Threatened by Pro-Government Crowd| work= Los Angeles Times| date=September 29, 2011}}

Later career

After retiring from government service, Ford was a resident of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, and a professor at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs.{{cite news |last=Kelley |first=Kevin J. |date=June 8, 2016 |title=The Former Syrian Ambassador Talks Rutland, His Old Boss and NEK Life |url=https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/the-former-syrian-ambassador-talks-rutland-his-old-boss-and-nek-life/Content?oid=3406699 |work=Seven Days |location=Burlington, VT}}

Honors

Ford is a recipient of several Department of State awards, including the 2005 James Clement Dunn Award for Excellence for outstanding work at the mid-level in the Foreign Service as well as three Superior Honor Awards and two Meritorious Honor Awards.

In 2012, Ford was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for his work as the U.S. ambassador in Syria amidst "repeated threats to his life" where he was doing what was characterized as "traveling around Syria to encourage and support peaceful protesters targeted by Assad's brutal crackdown".{{Cite news |title= JFK Awards for 3 Iowa Supreme Court Justices, US Ambassador to Syria for 'Doing What's Right' |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/jfk-awards-for-3-iowa-supreme-court-justices-us-ambassador-to-syria-for-doing-whats-right/2012/05/06/gIQAUp635T_story.html |newspaper= The Washington Post |agency= Associated Press |date= May 6, 2012 |accessdate= May 16, 2012 }}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

References

External links

{{C-SPAN|9267197}}
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15162300 "US Ambassador Robert Ford: Syria Must 'Respect Human Rights'"]. BBC News. October 4, 2011.
Delawala, Imtiyaz (August 4, 2011). [https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-ambassador-syria-robert-ford-calls-crackdown-hama/story?id=14234903 "U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford Calls Crackdown in Hama 'Grotesque' and 'Abhorrent'"]. ABC News.

This article contains text in the public domain published by the U.S. Department of State.

{{succession box

| title= U.S. Ambassador to Algeria

| before= Richard W. Erdman

| after= David D. Pearce

| years= 2006–2008

}}

{{succession box

| title= U.S. Ambassador to Syria

| before= Margaret Scobey

| after= Daniel Rubinstein

| years= 2011–2014