[3] 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".

[6] In December 2010, after the U.S. Senate failed to act on the nomination, Obama used a recess appointment to secure Ford the position.

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.

[11] 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.

[15] In December 2018, Ford declared his support for President Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, describing it as "essentially correct.

[3] 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".