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Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/26/us-syria-crisis-usa-intelligence-idUSBRE85P1JN20120626
U.S. Intelligence Sees Protracted Conflict in Syria
(Reuters) Tabassum Zakaria - Despite some military defections, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle remains cohesive and the conflict is likely to be a drawn-out struggle, senior U.S. intelligence officials said on Tuesday. "The regime inner circle and those at the next level still seem to be holding fairly firm in support of the regime and Assad," one intelligence official said. "The regime still believes it can ultimately prevail or at least appears determined to try to prevail and the opposition at the same time seems to be preparing for a long fight," he said. "It is very difficult for the regime to completely suppress the opposition and I do think the overall trendline for the regime is downward," an intelligence official said.