Videos

Former Secretary of State John Kerry and a group of former U.S. ambassadors and State Department officials discussed the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic. They talked about the need…

Former intelligence and diplomatic officials offered policy recommendations at a hearing on combating ISIS* in Iraq and Syria. Former acting CIA Director Michael Morell told committee member…

Middle East experts talked about the potential effects of the Iran nuclear agreement on the region. The historic deal could end Iran’s status as a pariah state but its increased wealth and i…

Ambassador Robert Ford and others talked about resolving the conflict in Syria. Ambassador Ford outlined why the Geneva talks failed to bring a resolution to the fighting in Syria, and said …

Former U.S. Ambassadors James Jeffrey, who served in Iraq, and Robert Ford, who served in Syria, discussed the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing fight against the so-called Islami…

Secretary of State John Kerry testified at a Senate Foreign Relation Committee hearing on U.S. strategy for combating the Islamic State* militant group. He had just returned from a trip abro…

Middle East policy experts talked about President Obama’s plan to combat ISIS* and the U.S. effort to establish a reliable partner in Syria to fight both ISIS and President Assad’s regime in…

Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford talked about humanitarian efforts in Syria. Mr. Miliband urged members of the United Nations S…

Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford spoke with Woodrow Wilson scholar Aaron David Miller about the future of Syria. Ambassador Ford said Bashar al Assad is still in power in part bec…

Experts on Syria testified on the country’s civil war and the Obama administration’s approach to the conflict. Among the issues addressed were the flow of refugees to other countries, effort…

The U.S. ambassador to Syria and State Department and USAID officials testified on the ongoing civil war in Syria. Ambassador Ford in his remarks said no evidence had been found thus far to …

Ambassador Robert Ford talked about the future of Syria. In his remarks he said the Syrian President Assad’s tenure as leader of his country would end soon. This was a keynote address of the…

State Department officials testified political unrest and government actions against the civilian population in Syria. They told committee members that the regime of President Assad was unde…

Ambassadors who had been appointed during congressional recess periods testified about their confirmation by the Senate. Among the topics they addressed were political unrest and anti-govern…

Ambassador Ford answered questions from committee members about his nomination to continue as U.S. ambassador to Syria. He had been appointed during a congressional recess the previous Decem…

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Robert Stephen Ford to be U.S. ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic.