Panetta says Syria chemical threat has slowed

KUWAIT CITY (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the Syrian government seems to have slowed preparations for the possible use of chemical weapons against rebel targets.

Last week U.S. officials said there was evidence that Syrian forces had begun preparing sarin, a nerve agent, for possible use in bombs.

Panetta told reporters flying with him from Washington to Kuwait that the threat was no longer escalating, although he was not specific about any Syrian military preparations.