In Congressional testimony yesterday, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieut. Gen. Michael Flynn denied that al Qaeda is on the run and on a path to defeat. He also said there is a “very real” risk that al Qaeda-linked groups in Syria could gain control of Syria’s chemical or biological weapons. President Obama has acknowledged that Syria is one of the US’ highest security priorities, and that rising extremism in Syria could threaten the US. A State Department report warned of the difficulty of planning for a US civilian diplomatic presence in Afghanistan in the absence of a security agreement.
