National Intelligence Director James Clapper warned in the agency’s 2014 threat assessment that “Syria has become a significant location for independent or al Qaeda-aligned groups to recruit, train, and equip a growing number of extremists, some of whom might conduct external attacks,” and said elements of Syria’s biological warfare program might be capable of production though not yet weaponized. Clapper said some Syrian rebel groups, including the Al Nusrah Front, have aspirations to attack the US itself. He also warned that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula poses a significant threat to US interests at home and abroad, and Hezbollah has increased its terrorist activity to a level not seen since the 1990s. In addition, Clapper said North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor. A top US intelligence official reported an uptick in terrorist threats to the Sochi Olympics. The Chair of the House Armed Services Committee questioned the ‘pivot to Asia.’
