Clinton, speaking at a news conference before the opening of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in this Baltic capital, said the administration has concluded that the benefits of sending a US ambassador to Damascus — after a five-year absence — outweigh the costs. “The larger question as to what the United States will do with respect to Syria is one we’ve spent a lot of time considering and debating inside the administration,” she said. She said the presence of an ambassador gives Washington a better insight into what is happening in Damascus.