Russia Doubling Nuclear Warheads

New multiple-warhead missiles to break arms treaty limit

Russia is doubling the number of its strategic nuclear warheads on new missiles by deploying multiple reentry vehicles that have put Moscow over the limit set by the New START arms treaty, according to Pentagon officials.

A recent intelligence assessment of the Russian strategic warhead buildup shows that the increase is the result of the addition of multiple, independently targetable reentry vehicles, or MIRVs, on recently deployed road-mobile SS-27 and submarine-launched SS-N-32 missiles, said officials familiar with reports of the buildup.

“The Russians are doubling their warhead output,” said one official. “They will be exceeding the New START [arms treaty] levels because of MIRVing these new systems.”

U.S. intel: Syrian regime could survive 2012 with backing from China, Russia, Iran

The U.S. intelligence community has assessed that a fragmented opposition and powerful foreign support could sustain the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout 2012.

Officials said the assessment took into account the strong military, intelligence and financial support the Damascus regime has received from China, Iran and Russia.

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.

“It could be a long time,” National Intelligence Director James Clapper said. “The opposition appears fragmented.”

The intelligence assessment, issued at a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Jan. 31, marked the first high-level assertion by Washington that the Assad regime remained resilient.

Continue reading article: U.S. intel: Syrian regime could survive 2012 with backing from China, Russia, Iran (World Tribune)