The Obama administration is accelerating its planning with Mideast allies for a series of potentially fast-moving crises in Syria in the coming months , including the possible loss of government control over some of the country’s scattered stocks of chemical weapons, The Washington Post reported Saturday, May 19. Syria possesses one of the world’s largest arsenals of chemical munitions, including tons of nerve gases such as VX and sarin, as well as artillery shells and missile warheads for delivering them. The planning, involving intelligence and military officials from at least seven countries, includes detailed arrangements for securing chemical arms with special operations troops in the event that parts of Syria are seized by militants. Intelligence officials are increasingly concerned that Islamic extremists could attempt to seize control of whole towns and districts if the country slides into full-scale civil war.