Former United States Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford gave a public presentation on Sept. 22 about the Syrian Civil War and United States – Syrian relations.

Speaking to a packed McIntire Maine Event Room in the Buchanan Alumni House, Ford described the conditions of the Syrian Civil War and the associated complicated political scene in Washington.

“It is important that people realize that the Syrian conflict started out peacefully, but over time, turned extremely violent,” Ford said about the civil war that started in 2011. “Over 200,000 people have died from chemical weapons, torture, and starvation. There will be a big debate in Washington after the mid-term elections to discuss what should be done.”

Throughout the hour-long lecture, Ford commented on President Barack Obama’s handling of the situation, some of his own personal experiences in Syria and potential solutions.

“Syria needs a new government that can rally against the Islamic State,” said Ford. “It is important to note, however, that after five years of experience in Iraq, I don’t think we should pull out completely from the Middle East. I agree that we should help train Syrians against their oppressors.”

Speaking about Washington’s political front, Ford discussed the multiple viewpoints President Obama is facing from both Democrats and Republicans.

“Some people within the Democratic party strongly support taking action in Syria, while some do not,” Ford said. “The Republicans are also divided. For example, Rand Paul and John McCain are on opposite sides. I fear [taking action in Syria] is a slippery slope.”

Ford has been in the United States Foreign Service since 1985, taking positions in Egypt, Algeria, Turkey and others. Ford served as U.S. Ambassador to Algeria from 2006 to 2008 before assuming the ambassadorship to Syria from 2011 to 2014.

In a one-on-one interview with The Maine Campusbefore the lecture, Ford answered questions regarding his Algeria and Syria assignments, as well as personal thoughts about his career. When asked to compare his Algerian and Syrian positions, Ford commented on the extremity of the Syrian situation.

“The Syrian assignment was far harder in many ways,” Ford said. “When I got to Syria, we already had a contentious relationship with the Syrian government because of the Syrians’ nuclear and chemical programs. We wanted those programs to be put under international supervision, but the Syrians did not cooperate.”

Ford stressed the day-to-day violence he experienced in Syria, and how that affected his time there.

“The first six months I was in Syria [where] easier than the last six months,” Ford said. “At first, it was fairly simple for me to move around the city. There were no particular security threats against me. In the last six months, there were constant security threats. The Syrian government organized a mob and attacked the U.S. embassy, and it was the worst [mob] I had ever seen in my career. I had to change my daily routine because of all these threats.”

Ford retired from his official government ambassadorship in Feb. 2014, opting instead for a life of teaching at Johns Hopkins University and giving public lectures.

“I retired from my Syrian position because I could no longer defend the government’s policy,” said Ford, who now speaks as a private citizen. “It was touching on my personal integrity.”

In his lecture, Ford stressed the “abysmal” coverage western media provides of the Syrian conflict, and noted there were certain things Americans must know about the conflict.

“The conflict is complicated. The Assad regime is unbelievably brutal. It has arrested tens of thousands of people and tortured them to death. It is bad for all Syrians if that regime continues as it is now,” Ford explained. “But on both sides there are extremists that hurt the Syrian people. Americans need to understand the Syrians need help against both these sides.”

When asked what the average American could do to assist the Syrian people, Ford promoted the many organizations that provide assistance to Syrian civilians, as well as political representative outreach.

“I encourage people to donate money and supplies to the numerous American organizations that assist the enormous humanitarian crisis in Syria,” Ford said. “Americans can also let their representatives in Washington know that [the public] does care about what happens in Syria. Helping Syrians help themselves is in our national interest.”