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February 6, 2014

U.N. Says Syria Can Meet Chemical Weapons Deadline Despite Falling Behind 
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Syria has missed another deadline for shipping out its chemical weapons
as part of the deal reached last year following threats of a U.S.
strike. The regime of Bashar al-Assad has handed over just 5 percent of
its stockpile, far below the timeline's 90 percent goal. The Assad
regime is blaming the delay on clashes with opposition rebels. The
United Nations says it still expects Syria to meet a final June 30
deadline. At a hearing in Washington, Director of National Intelligence
James Clapper said he believes the weapons agreement has strengthened
Assad.

James Clapper: "Well, the prospects are right now that he is actually in
a strengthened position than when we discussed this last year, by virtue
of his agreement to remove the chemical weapons, as slow as that process
has been. So if he doesn't go, in the absence of some kind of a
diplomatic agreement ensuing from Geneva or follow-on discussions, I
would foresee kind of more of the same, sort of a perpetual state of
stalemate, where either — neither the regime nor the opposition
can prevail."

 

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