US Intelligence: Al-Assad Not Losing Power, Arming Rebels a Bad Idea

The Chairman of the House intelligence committee, Mike Rogers, said in a television interview that there are no signs that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is losing his grip on power, citing US intelligence agencies.

“We don’t see al-Assad’s inner circle crumbling,” Rogers told CNN, in comments carried by the LA Times.
Speaking in Washington on Sunday, Rogers said that “arming the rebels is probably not a good idea, mainly because we just don’t know who they are.”

“Al-Assad regime also continues to be propped up with support from Russia and Iran, as both countries see Syria as a critical toe hold in the Middle East,” Rogers said.

Appearing with Ranking Member C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, he argued for “greater international diplomatic pressure rather than sending in arms and hoping for the best.”

“We think that there are other things that we can do that we haven’t quite engaged in yet, and that probably need to happen,” Rogers said, including engaging “the Arab League so the United States could take a support role.”