Robert Ford arrived in Damascus on January 16th to take up his post as US ambassador to Syria, marking a return to top-level diplomatic representation after almost six years. His predecessor, Margaret Scobey, was withdrawn after the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. Mr Obama nominated Mr Ford in February 2010, but his appointment was delayed owing to congressional opposition on the grounds that it constituted a diplomatic "reward" to Syria for which nothing had been offered in return. The administration insisted that the purpose of upgrading its diplomatic representation was to enable the US to communicate its views about Syria's policies more directly and forcefully. Faced with the likelihood that he would be unable to secure the required Senate ratification, Mr Obama took advantage of the late December recess of Congress to confirm Mr Ford's appointment himself.