James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, said Tuesday that President Bashar al-Assad’s hold on power in Syria had “strengthened” over the past year, and that he had benefited from a deal to abandon his chemical weapons arsenal.
Not only has the Assad government blocked progress at the Geneva peace talks that started last month, according to American officials, it has also delayed taking its most dangerous chemicals to the port of Latakia to be shipped out of the country. The government has also blocked shipments of medicine and food to besieged areas.
{Andy Heller-Matzav.com Newscenter}
