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U.S. Intelligence Assessment: Erosion of Syrian Power Accelerating
(Washington Post) Peter Finn - The erosion of the Syrian regime's authority is accelerating and the "increasingly beleaguered" government, which has been unable to defeat insurgents with conventional weapons, might be prepared to use chemical weapons, James R. Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday. Clapper also noted that elements of Syria's biological weapons program "may have advanced beyond the research and development stage" and that Syria possesses conventional and chemical weapons systems that "could be modified for biological agent delivery." Regarding Iran, Clapper said: "We assess Iran is developing nuclear capabilities to enhance its security, prestige and regional influence and give it the ability to develop nuclear weapons, should a decision be made to do so....Iran has made progress during the past year that better positions it to produce weapons-grade uranium (WGU) using its declared facilities and uranium stockpiles, should it choose to do so. Despite this progress, we assess Iran could not divert safeguarded material and produce a weapon-worth of WGU before this activity is discovered."