The President took the opportunity today to consult with U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, who is in Washington D.C. for meetings with the Senate and key Administration officials.  The President thanked Ambassador Ford for his extraordinary service to the American people at a very challenging time in Syria. The President also reiterated his strong condemnation of the Syrian regime’s outrageous use of violence against its own people, and reaffirmed America’s support for the courageous Syrian people, and their demands for universal rights and a democratic transition.