Appearing with Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte, Maples said attacks within Afghanistan were up 20 percent between 2004 and 2005, suicide bombings increased "almost fourfold" and use of makeshift bombs, similar to those used in Iraq, had "more than doubled."

Negroponte, in his prepared remarks, acknowledged that "the volume and geographic scope of attacks increased last year," but he added, "the Taliban and other militants have not been able to stop the democratic process" being undertaken by the central government of President Hamid Karzai.

Unlike at a similar hearing last month before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, when Negroponte read his statement for 90 minutes, he summarized his remarks yesterday in 20 minutes, and turned the floor over to Maples, who took even less time.

As a result, committee members had time to pose questions on a range of issues, covering Afghanistan, security in Iraq, North Korea's nuclear programs and the purchase by Dubai Ports World of a British company running terminals at six American ports.

Maples's prepared remarks seemed to frame some of the initial questions, including his statements that, "with over a million Sunni Arab military-aged males in Iraq, insurgents have little difficulty mobilizing enough fighters." He also said, "The elections appear to have heightened tension and polarized sectarian divides."

Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), chairman of the panel, led off by asking Negroponte what the "benchmarks" of civil war would be. Negroponte responded he would see it as involving "a complete loss of central government security control, the disintegration or deterioration of the security forces of the country," and "unauthorized forces . . . getting the upper hand in the situation."

Both Negroponte and Maples agreed that the degree to which Shiite and Kurd leaders accommodated Sunni demands would determine the outcome. Failure to broaden the government to include Sunnis in key positions "would have the effect of prolonging the insurgency," Negroponte said. Although they both said Iran was providing military support to the Shiites, Maples said he did not think it was in Iran's interest to see a full-scale civil war and Tehran "would probably act to avoid that."

On North Korea, Negroponte declined as he has in the past to provide a specific estimate of the number of nuclear weapons Pyongyang may have. "We assess that they probably have nuclear weapons as they claim that they do," Negroponte said, "but we don't know for a fact that they've got such weapons."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who pressed the issue, noted that CIA Director Porter J. Goss had publicly said the number was "more than one or two," and asked Negroponte what the current unclassified estimate was. "I'm just reluctant to pinpoint a specific number because I don't want to convey the impression that we know for a fact that they have that many weapons," Negroponte said.

Under questioning from Clinton, Maples confirmed the North Koreans are in the process of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could deliver a nuclear warhead, though the DIA director added, "They have not done so yet nor have they tested it."

© 2006 The Washington Post Company

Gulf Arab states, including Kuwait, have said they want an agreement with Iran to keep the Gulf region free of nuclear weapons.

Mr Ahmadinejad's brief visit to Kuwait was the first by an Iranian head of state since the Islamic revolution of 1979.

He held talks with Kuwaiti leaders including the new Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad.

Also on Monday, Kuwaiti leaders held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who is touring Gulf states.

The official Egyptian news agency said the talks focused on recent developments in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.

'Deteriorating security'

At a news conference before his departure from Kuwait Mr Ahmadinejad was asked about calls from the Gulf states for the Middle East to become a nuclear-free zone.

He said: "We too demand that the Middle East be free of nuclear weapons, not only the Middle East, but the whole world should be free of nuclear weapons.

"We believe that these weapons, possessed by the superpowers and the occupiers in our area, are a threat to stability," Mr Ahmadinejad added.

He also criticised the US presence in neighbouring Iraq.

"The occupation in Iraq is causing the deterioration of security. We believe that when foreign occupation is ended, a large part of the problems would be solved," Mr Ahmadinejad said.

He went on to say that relations between Iran and Kuwait were improving all the time.

Iran and Kuwait have been in political and technical talks aimed at demarcating their maritime border for several years, but the dispute continues.

"There is no problem between us and the brothers in Kuwait which cannot be solved. But it needs some technical studies," Mr Ahmadinejad said.

A group of a dozen parties, known as the Damascus Declaration, said on Monday they had enough resources on their own to press ahead with a campaign for peaceful change to end a 40-year monopoly by the Baath Party on power.

"The Damascus Declaration refuses foreign funding, including the $5 million from the U.S. State Department for the Syrian opposition," a statement by the group said.

The United Sates imposed several sanctions on Syria in 2004, accusing Damascus of supporting "terrorism." Two weeks ago it announced a $5 million grant to fund what it called "democratic reformers" in Syria.

A U.S. State Department official said the money was not aimed at opposition or political groups in Syria.

"The funds are there to help civil society groups interested in promoting democracy at large. It is not a promotion of direct political parties or views," he said in response to whether Washington was disappointed with the Syrian opposition response.

Damascus Declaration founding member Hassan Abdel Atheem told Reuters the United States cannot expect popular support for its policy toward Syria while it maintained sanctions against the country.

"Support by international powers for democratic change in Syria is welcome. This does not include financing because it means subordination to the funding country," he said.

"Our project is nationalist, independent democratic change in Syria, not through occupation or economic pressure as we see the United states doing," he said.

PROMOTING DEMOCRACY

The Damascus Declaration, which does not include the banned Muslim Brotherhood, seeks to promote greater freedoms and usher pluralism in Syria.

Syria has been ruled by the Baath party since 1963. In 1970, Hafez al-Assad, the father of Syria's current president took power in a coup d'etat and ruled until his death in 2000 when his son Bashar succeeded him. Bashar is credited with bringing some liberal reforms to Syrian politics and the economy.

The opposition says opening up the political system is the best way to counter the United States, which is leading international efforts to isolate Syria for its alleged role in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri a year ago.

Atheem said he does not know of any Syrian who applied for the funding, although the government has been harassing and threatening opposition figures, such as Riad Seif, who was only freed from jail a month ago.

Ayman Abdel an-Nour, a Baathist political consultant who is pushing for reform within the party, said the powerful security apparatus dismisses domestic and international pressure to loosen its grip on power and deal less harshly with dissidents.

"They feel that the regime is about to escape the aftermath of the Hariri assassination intact," Abdel Nour said.

"They don't realize that by opting for change, they could contain the rise of Islamist forces and emerge victors in a multi-party system, similar to some communists in the former Eastern bloc," he added.

A U.N. investigation has implicated senior Syrian officials in the Hariri assassination. Damascus denies involvement in the killing and pledged to cooperate with the investigation.

Copyright 2006 Reuters News Service.