He said America’s 16 intelligence agencies suspected sub-Saharan Africa would “almost certainly” experience more security turmoil this year, as the region has become an incubator for extremists/FILE
Presenting an annual intelligence assessment, Clapper described a mounting danger from “globally dispersed” violent extremists from the Middle East to Africa aligned or inspired by Al-Qaeda, even as the terror group’s core leadership has been steadily weakened in Pakistan.
The raging conflict between President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and rebel forces has lured Al-Qaeda-linked militants to Syria, where they could possibly prepare to mount attacks on the West, Clapper said.
“Syria has become a huge magnet for extremists” who can now recruit, train and equip a growing number of militants there, he told the Senate Intelligence Committee.
America’s intelligence agencies estimated that there were about 26,000 fighters deemed to be “extremists” operating in Syria out of a total opposition force of 75,000 to 110,000, Clapper said.
The conflict had attracted roughly 7,000 foreign volunteers from some 50 countries, mostly in the Middle East and Europe.
The presence of the hardline militants was of “tremendous concern” among US allies, particularly European governments, which fear foreign fighters will return home to carry out attacks, the US spy chief added.
“We’re seeing now the appearance of training complexes in Syria to train people to go back to their countries, and, of course, conduct more terrorist acts,” he said.
Clapper compared Syria to the semi-autonomous tribal belt in northwest Pakistan, which has served as a sanctuary for the Taliban and members of Al-Qaeda.
He also offered a warning on advances in Syria’s biological weapons program.
Although Syria has agreed to eliminate its large arsenal of chemical weapons, the regime now may have the ability to produce biological weapons on a limited scale.
“We judge that some elements of Syria’s biological warfare program might have advanced beyond the research and development stage and might be capable of limited agent production, based on the duration of its longstanding program,” Clapper said in written testimony.
Clapper offered no further details, but it was the first time officials had stated publicly that spy agencies believed Syria had made strides in its biological program.
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