Panetta: Syria chemical weapons intelligence has "leveled off"

The Obama administration Tuesday appeared to temper its recent assertions that the Syrian government may be preparing to use chemical weapons, with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta telling reporters the relevant intelligence had "really kind of leveled off."

"We haven't seen anything new indicating any aggressive steps to move forward in that way," Panetta told reporters during a flight to Kuwait, adding that U.S. officials "continue to monitor it very closely and we continue to make clear to them that they should not under any means make use of these chemical weapons against their own population. That would produce serious consequences."

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Will the U.S. enter Syria conflict?

U.S. officials told CBS News correspondent David Martin just last week that monitoring of roughly two dozen bases where President Bashar Assad is believed to have chemical weapons stored indicated the regime had begun preparing the materials, including sarin gas, for use. Satellites had seen trucks moving among the bunkers where the weapons and agents are believed to be stored. U.S. officials told Martin the evidence was strong, but circumstantial -- not definitive.

Rebel fighters have now inched so close to Assad's stronghold, the capital city of Damascus, that top U.S. officials had expressed fears the cornered dictator could try and use his chemical weapons as a last resort to try and avoid being toppled by the 21-month uprising.

Syrian government officials have refused to confirm that they even posses chemical or biological weapons -- saying only that if they did have them, they would not use them against the Syrian people, or anyone else.

Panetta himself never said publicly that Assad was preparing chemical weapons. He, along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, instead issued repeated, terse warnings to Assad not to take the step.

"There is no question that we remain very concerned, very concerned, that as the opposition advances, in particular on Damascus, that the regime might very well consider the use of chemical weapons," Panetta said last week.

Asked Tuesday whether the drop in alleged evidence pointing to chemical weapons preparations might indicate that Assad had heeded the warning, Panetta said: "I'd like to believe he's got the message, we've made it pretty clear and others have as well. But you know it's also clear that the opposition continues to make gains in Syria and our concern is that if they feel like the regime is threatened with collapse that they might resort to these kinds of weapons."

A senior member of Assad's regime who defected recently tells CBS News, however, that the dire warnings of a possible sarin gas attack by Assad's military seem overblown. The defector, who maintains contact with Syrian military commanders, says those commanders deny any recent movements of chemical weapons components.

The commanders also have told the defector that logistically, they cannot see how the regime would try and use the deadly weapons effectively against the rebels -- which the regime regularly refers to as "terrorists" -- they are such a small and mobile enemy.

[commnsnse84]

To BWB2020, i have to say you are a idiot,

[IPonUall2]

Lets' get this one thing straight before I get cut off by the CIA again.

BUSH AND CHENEY ARE WAR CRIMINALS.

Rendition is an international crime.
Waterboarding is an international crime.
Killing anyone outside the country is a criminal act.

You morons that support the Bush family Mafia have been misled.
The CIA infiltrated politics. THAT IS ILLEGAL.
When daddy bush was interviewed by congress in 1974, to become the director of the CIA, he denied ever being in it.
Proof has shown not only was he a CIA agent, he had been one since college.
HE LIED TO CONGRESS.

The country has been betrayed by the Bush Mafia.

[BWB2020]

Chuck766 replies:
"... America has no war criminals dummy..."

To the degree that Al Capone, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Tim McVeigh were also not criminals until the were convicted in a court of law, you are correct. Bush hasn't been convicted yet, but his crimes are obvious to all sentient beings.

"...America has also NEVER gone on a genocide binge..."

According to Article 6 of the ICC Statute, This crime involves, "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;
(such as Vietnamese, Iraqis and Afghanistanis B.)

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(such as Vietnamese, Iraqis and Afghanistanis B.)

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(such as Vietnamese, Iraqis and Afghanistani Taliban B.)

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

"...Your contempt for the United States is noted..."

Not by anyone of any importance or consequence, but only from a ASPD-afflicted bagger with contempt for facts.

[esnation]

The MI complex thought they could keep the ole money ball rolling, then realised they had used this same propaganda before. I mean how many times can you miss work because your mother died? Sooner or later, people start doubting you....

[usunus]

The Nusra Front has altered a great deal of perceptions in Washginton about Syria.

[joesapper]

To BWB20 , I will not argue your point about the Bush action of years ago , but the rest of your reputation & credibility point is from the Obama planet found in the stars of hollywood , as we all can recall 9/11 2012 in Libya , and the 26 other USA Embassies that were assulted with Zero response , so perhaps you are refering to the credibility that has developed between the thugs and terrorist with the reputation of the White House doing nothing .

The horses are gathering and it is more than ugly out there , but hey no need to be concerned with reality , as the media is bringing to you every day , so try opening your eyes and ears and take a look at the world .

So whether it is , Syria , or a host of others , you say ignor the stampede . Ya , no need to get involved when tens of thousands young ponies join the stampede ?

[BWB2020]

Finally, someone figured out what would likely happen to US credibility, as well as our war criminals, if we were to invade Syria and, for a second time, not find WMDs.

Mr. Obama is showing himself to be far smarter than Bush, at least he doesn't assume his fellow citizens to be as stupid as Bush did, that they would swallow any lame, no-real-evidence excuse to go off on another genocide binge, especially one we cannot afford.

Now if Mr. Obama would simply stay neutral re Syria, leave us out of it and live with whatever result is determined by the people for their own country, we will make progress in improving our reputation and credibility on the international stage.