Syria says visits by former US ambassador meant to learn about revolution’s model

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani said that former US Ambassador Robert Ford's visits to liberated areas in northern Syria were meant to learn about the revolution's model.

In early May, Ford said during a lecture at the World Affairs Council that he had participated in a UK-based conflict resolution initiative aimed at "rehabilitating" Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and integrating him into formal political life.

"The visits by Mr. Robert Ford, like those of other foreign delegations, were part of firsthand observation of the Syrian revolution's experience and its development in the liberated areas, as well as an attempt to understand its realities and stages," Shaibani said on X late Tuesday, in an implicit denial of the diplomat's claim.

The top diplomat said the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime on Dec. 8 was "a Syrian achievement par excellence, the fruit of the steadfastness of a people who paid a heavy price for their freedom and dignity, despite the extent of the betrayal they suffered."

"Our duty today is to build on the regional and international political climate that supports Syria and leverage it to rebuild our country, while ignoring those who seek to undermine confidence in Syrian capabilities, minds, and leadership," Shaibani stressed.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.