But the future dangers raised by Syria's chemical, biological and nuclear programs are perhaps more important.  The global threat to innocent civilians is tremendous, including not just actual weapons, but also critical precursor materials and manufacturing equipment.  We must not permit terrorists like Al Qaeda or Hezbollah in next-door Lebanon, rogue states or a radical Syrian successor regime to acquire these capabilities.  The time available is short, and the risks we face in attempting to secure or destroy Syria's WMD are high.

Assad's chemical weapons, which, as noted, are already in motion, are extensive and sophisticated.  America's Director of National Intelligence ("DNI") recently reported that "Syria has had a CW program for many years and has a stockpile of CW agents, which can be delivered by aerial bombs, ballistic missiles, and artillery rockets." Moreover, we still do not know whether Iraq's Saddam Hussein, before his 2003 overthrow, sent CW assets into Syria, as unconfirmed reports indicated.