Top intelligence officials informed Congress that a series of recent bombings in Syria had “all the earmarks” of an al-Qaida attack, with National Intelligence Director James Clapper believing that the al-Qaida of Iraq are extending its reach into Syria. These comments came during a Senate Armed Services committee hearing focusing on worldwide threats to U.S. national security.
Army Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, testified alongside of Clapper. In addition, Director Clapper also commented on Iran’s nuclear program saying that it’s “technically feasible” for Tehran to produce a nuclear weapon in one or two years but its “practically not likely”.
Other topics of discussion included security threats in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as cybersecurity threats to the U.S. Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan chairs this Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.