World
The C.I.A. says the Islamic State (IS) militant group may have up to 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria - three times as many as previously feared. The BBC reports:
A spokesman said the new estimate was based on a review of intelligence reports from May to August. IS has seized vast swathes of Iraq and beheaded several hostages in recent months, leading to U.S. airstrikes.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is visiting Turkey, seeking more support for action against IS. On Thursday, 10 Arab countries agreed to help the US attack the group in both Iraq and Syria. The CIA had previously believed that IS had about 10,000 fighters, spokesman Ryan Trapani said.
"This new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate, greater battlefield activity, and additional intelligence", he added.
The revision comes a day after President Obama outlined a plan to "degrade and destroy" IS and to increase military support for allied forces engaged in fighting the group. For the first time, he authorised airstrikes against the group in Syria.
By striking Islamic State in Syria, the United States would be weakening one of President Bashar al-Assad's major enemies. But the new U.S. strategy may still unnerve Assad by helping other opponents determined to overthrow him. Reuters writes:
The U.S. strategy for tackling Islamic State in Syria is unlikely to yield quick results. Unlike in Iraq, where U.S. air strikes were able to quickly roll back some Islamic State advances, Washington has no strong partner on the ground.
But in a war that has already lasted over three years and killed more than 190,000 people, the U.S. plan looks set to bring with it the most serious effort yet to bolster what is left of the fragmented "moderate" opposition to Assad.
It could be a long time before rebel fighters loosely defined as "the Free Syrian Army" can be turned into anything approaching a serious military force.
That may not even be the goal. Both Assad's allies and opponents agree there can be no military solution to a war that requires a political settlement. But enhanced support - including training that Saudi Arabia has agreed to host - may at least provide a life line for the mainstream rebels who have faced the risk of being wiped out altogether by Assad and Islamic State.
