The night before, Syrian television had broadcast a less-than-flattering report about an American delegation arriving in the country’s fourth-largest city. “The ambassador of America, in Hama!” one of the protesters shouted. Within seconds, the car was mobbed by cheering Syrians who pressed against the car until it could barely move. Onlookers threw rose petals and garlands until the driver had to stop and clear the windshield in order to proceed. A chant began from somewhere in the throng and quickly grew into a roar.
