CIA Director Brennan says Syria army remains resilient
In a rare public appearance, John Brennan said the US relationship with Saudi Arabia remains “on strong and solid ground” despite differences over Iran, Syria and Iraq, and denied that the CIA hacked into the computers of Senate investigators.
WASHINGTON — CIA Director John Brennan said on March 11 that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “probably feels more confident” that his regime will survive as a result of his army’s recent performance and the impact of fighting between Islamist rebels.
Speaking at the Council of Foreign Relations in a rare public appearance, Brennan, who spent much of his career at the CIA before serving as chief White House counterterrorism adviser in President Barack Obama’s first term, said the Syrian army had proven to be more resilient than many had anticipated after the uprising began three years ago.
“Syria has a real army,” Brennan said in reply to a question from Al-Monitor about how long Assad might stay in power. The Syrian military, he added, has benefited from years of training and equipping by Russia and is “a large conventional military force with tremendous firepower.”
While acknowledging the proficiency of some of the Islamist fighters battling the Assad regime, Brennan noted that “internecine fighting” among the rebels has hurt their cause.
