CIA’s New Estimate Triples Number of Islamic State Fighters – William M. Welch
(dailyalert.org, Sept. 12, 2014)

A new CIA intelligence assessment estimates the Islamic State group “can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria,” up from a previous figure of 10,000, CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said Thursday. “This new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate.”  (USA Today)