Panetta: U.S. Focused on Securing Syrian Chemical Weapons

The United States is increasingly focused on how to secure Syria's chemical weapons if President Bashar al-Assad falls from power, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday, AFP reports.

Panetta said he would not consider sending ground troops into the war-torn country, even to secure chemical sites, but he left the door open to some U.S. military presence if Assad's downfall is followed by a peaceful transition.