U.S. Does Not See Rapid End To Assad

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The U.S. intelligence community has assessed that
Syrian President Bashar Assad could stay in power throughout 2012.
The U.S. intelligence assessment has determined that Assad faced
increasing resistance to his regime by Sunni fighters and thousands of
deserters. But the assessment concluded that Assad's military and security
forces were sufficiently powerful to ensure regime survival for at least the
next year.