Middle East Newsline -

Middle East Newsline -
SYRIA DEVELOPS BIO-WEAPONS

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Syria has advanced in efforts to produce biological missile warheads.

The U.S. intelligence community has determined that the regime of President Bashar Assad was developing an infrastructure for biological weapons production. Officials said Assad has advanced the BW program through help from China and North Korea.

"Syria's biotechnical infrastructure is capable of supporting limited biological agent development," Defense Intelligence Agency director Michael Maples said. "DIA assesses Syria has a program to develop select biological agents."

Maples said Syria has sought to install biological and chemical warheads on its missile arsenal. He said the programs were meant to deter Israel's conventional force superiority.

Syria has been known to have bioweapons for decades. However, the delivery systems are what has been holding them back. The Soviets would not let them develop this capability. Now they are being encouraged by their new patrons. Just another step forward for the world's plunge into the long night.