Ford, who became U.S. ambassador to Syria in 2011 and is
retiring, was instrumental in persuading the Syrian opposition
groups to join talks with the government aimed at ending Syria's
nearly three-year-old civil war. A second round of talks in
Geneva ended in mid-February with no progress toward ending the
conflict.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Silverman would
stand in until a permanent successor to Ford is named. "We will
soon announce a permanent replacement," she added.
(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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