Washington (Agence Fides / Agencies) - U.S. President Barack Obama has appointed Robert Ford the first United States Ambassador to Syria, after 5 years of absence. The place was left empty after the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese Premier killed in Beirut, whose murder was attributed to personalities close to the Syrian President al-Assad, although Syria has always denied any involvement.
The announcement from the White House comes on the eve of a trip to Syria by William Burns, of the State Department, to improve relations between the countries pushing for a new possibility of peace in the Middle East. Ford has yet to receive the approval of the U.S. Senate.
Relations between Damascus and Washington have often been strained in recent years. After the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, Syria has often been accused of supporting terrorism. In 2004 the U.S. has imposed economic sanctions on Syria. Damascus has close relations with Hezbollah in Lebanon, with Palestinian extremists and Iran.