NEWS FLASH

Syrian Activist Says Demonstrators ‘Felt Protected’ By Amb Ford’s Visit To Hama | U.S. ambassador to Syria Robert Ford traveled to the central Syrian city of Hama yesterday, the “focal point” of the anti-government unrest there. A State Department spokesperson told the New York Times that Ford traveled there, along with French ambassador to Syria Eric Chevallier, “as a show of solidarity with the residents there.” Ford and Chevallier attended protests there today and videos posted on YouTube apparently show “protesters holding olive branches” and tossing “roses onto the American ambassador’s car.” One Syrian protester, a lawyer, said demonstrators were emboldened by the ambassadors’ visit. “We felt protected by their visit,” he said. “They obviously can’t fire on crowds with Western officials here so it was calm and peaceful today, and the crowds were huge.”