Panetta: Syria chemical weapon threat has slowed

Panetta: Syria chemical weapon threat has slowed

David Jackson

7:54AM EST December 11. 2012 - The prospect of U.S. and allied action against Syria over chemical weapons appears to be lessening.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters that new intelligence indicates that Syria may be backing off any plans to use chemical weapons against rebel forces.

"We haven't seen anything new indicating any aggressive steps to move forward in that way," Panetta said 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.

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