Robert Ford was the last resident ambassador in Syria and advised the President on US-Syria policy through the most unstable period in the region’s history. He broke with the Obama administration over its handling of the Syrian civil war and is now a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute. This is a unique opportunity to review up to date political fault lines in ISIL and the Obama administration attempts at a strategy to stabilize the region. Ambassador Ford also served in Algeria, Bahrain and Iraq. He is the recipient of U.S. State Department’s highest award, as well as the annual Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston for his stout defense of human rights in Syria. This presentation was recorded Thursday, June 16, 2016 at Milliken Auditorium, in Traverse City, MI on the campus of Northwestern Michigan Community College.
