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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

CIA: Islamic State has 2 to 3 times more jihadis than previous estimate

Sep 12, 2014 10:04 am By Robert Spencer

Mideast Iraq Behind Militant LinesSo many misunderstanders of Islam! Where do they keep coming from? Why do they keep misunderstanding the faith whose teachings are so clear to non-Muslims like John Kerry and David Cameron? Why do the government or media elites never, ever ponder questions like these?

“CIA: Islamic State Has 2 To 3 Times More Fighters Than Previous Estimate,” by Caroline Lee Smith, Washington Free Beacon, September 12, 2014:

A new assessment from the CIA on Thursday said that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant “can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria,” a CIA spokesman told USA Today.

The estimate is up to triple the previous estimate of 10,000.

“CIA assesses the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria, based on a new review of all-source intelligence reports from May to August, an increase from our previous assessment of at least 10,000 fighters,” said CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani.

“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.”

The details about the increased number of fighters come as the Pentagon refines its intelligence on the area, including surveillance flights underway over Syria.

CNN reported that the number of fighters is also on the rise because it includes those freed from prisons by ISIL. More than 15,000 fighters from 80 countries have gone to Syria, a CIA source said. He said it was unclear whether the foreigners went to Syria to be part of ISIL or to fight against it.

Is that really unclear? Has there really been any significant number of reports about foreign Muslims going to Syria to fight against the Islamic State? A few Shia have gone to aid Hizballah against the Islamic State, but there is not much beyond that.

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Filed Under: Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) Tagged With: featured


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Comments

  1. bobm says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 10:36 am

    every muslim is a jihadi.. some hard some soft.. depends on how excited they are.

  2. Angemon says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 10:41 am

    More than 15,000 fighters from 80 countries have gone to Syria, a CIA source said. He said it was unclear whether the foreigners went to Syria to be part of ISIL or to fight against it.

    You’re kidding, right?

    • VultureTX says

      Sep 12, 2014 at 1:29 pm

      To Be Fair:
      If they are coming from Lebanon and are Hezbollah, those are also “foreign” Fighters. And evidently the CIA has a trouble with figuring those muslims apart.
      More Likely:
      they are not allowed to indicate the religious association with all these fighters. Note they don’t even use the word jihadists, which all of them including the Syrian Christians are calling them.

  3. wildjew says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 10:47 am

    Until a prominent televised cable news outlet like Fox News begins systematically exposing these lies, leaders like Barack Obama, John Kerry, Congressman Peter King (I watch him the other day on Fox state unchallenged, ISIS distorts Islam), etc. will keep propagating these lies. Most of the experts Fox brings in on Islam I have never heard of or they don’t seem to be experts, but novices on Islam. Walid Phares I suppose is a scholar on Islam but he leaves me unimpressed. Phares advised Mitt Romney who declared “jihadism” has nothing to do with authentic Islam. Megyn Kelly (who took Sean Hannity’s slot) seems to be an honest woman. Brigitte Gabreil is a guest. She is pretty good but she continues to make this distinction between “radical Islam” and non-radical Islam / Muslims (who constitute the majority of Muslims worldwide) which I think is misleading. Why doesn’t Kelly invite Spencer who has been dealing with this for many years or someone like him as a guest? Kelly has been talking about what Islam is and is not almost every night this week and last week. What gives?

    • duh_swami says

      Sep 12, 2014 at 11:12 am

      The FOX talking heads all talk out of both sides of their mouths about Islam. I know BS when I hear it. They too are trying to protect the image of the real, authentic Islam, while exposing the dastardly deeds of the hijackers. They have become useful idiots.

      • wildjew says

        Sep 12, 2014 at 11:33 am

        Why do you think they are trying to protect the image of Islam? Why not offer the viewers a good debate between an apologist for Islam and a truth-teller? And what about talk radio? Intrepid warrior Laura Ingraham had Spencer on in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. Ingraham challenged Spencer with, “(We) have to be very careful about demonizing an entire religion, an entire group of people, many of whom do not buy into this…” Limbaugh boasts that he lives in “Realville” but when it comes to Islam it is more like “Delusionville” or “Denialville.” If conservative radio talk show hosts weighed in on the side of truth, they could have an impact. Next Monday, we will have Mark Levin on the radio here. Maybe Levin gets it? Michael Savage has told his listeners these killers hijacked Islam too many times to be trusted. Aren’t conservatives supposed to be rooted in history? Shouldn’t conservatives seek out the truth wherever it leads them? The left is the left. I don’t trust the left. It is my side I worry about.

        • Daniel Triplett says

          Sep 12, 2014 at 5:51 pm

          I don’t know if it’s true, but someone else posted elsewhere that the Fox Talking Heads aren’t ignorant about the “Radical/Moderate” BS, but their hands are tied from their Boss, and Useful Idiot Roger Ailes, who for some reason isn’t ready for wholesale condemnation of Islam.

          He’s the one insisting no one call out Islam, forcing them to lie with the misleading Radical Islam crap.

  4. marc says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 10:50 am

    simple really, ban known subject experts like Spencer from entering the country to educate the targets of the threat (infidels), the threat goes away, it works for ostriches, doesn’t it?

  5. Beagle says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 10:54 am

    If the CIA simply counted out the Shia who’ve traveled there that would give them a much more accurate picture. A few, very few, Sunnis would make the trek to fight against the IS. None of the Shia would go there to fight with IS.

    But then, this would require our government to allow Islam to be included in our threat doctrines and training. Thanks Obama!

  6. Bob Smith says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 10:54 am

    Worthless progressive politicians – November is coming. I want straight talk on Islam – not PC lies.

    And I vote.

  7. mortimer says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 10:58 am

    Islam is a tribal warrior cult for Arabs. Look at the pictures and the costumes of ISIS and you will be convinced, if only by what you see.

    Can Kerry and Cameron take a minute and just use their EYES?

    What do the ISIS terrorists LOOK LIKE?

  8. Don McKellar says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 11:05 am

    Has the CIA had their operations manual scrubbed of Islam references like the FBI has under the Obama politically correct squad? How can we trust this new assessment?

    There are 20 million in the Islamic Caliphate and growing. And they’ve only got 20.000 fighters??? I think not. Try 200,000 fighters. All Muslims who have found new inspiration and are more devout and observant of their religious texts. The death cult of the moon god is on the march!

  9. mortimer says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 11:07 am

    With all the vapid comments from Cameron and Kerry, though, their governments have FINALLY realized they must fight ISLAMISM IDEOLOGICALLY.

    When the government propagandists look into ISLAMISM, they will quickly learn that ISLAMISM is merely ISLAM…ISLAM IN ALL ITS INTENSITY.

  10. Twostellas says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 11:24 am

    Oh, they ponder them alright, but don’t like their conclusions. Or stop themselves before they get to that point as their minds see the new paradigm, so to speak. Or just plain denial. All in the west and free to freer world, go through stages of adjusting to this unfortunate reality. I mean lets face it, it’s hard to wrap the free mind around people actually believing in, and the brutal acting out of, such teachings. The mind struggles. As well it should for a just people. But there is a point of conclusion, spoken or not. Too bad more in the Muslim world don’t struggle so. There are some, but they risk their lives in order to do so and are quickly eliminated in some form or the other. We should not succumb to that way of being, while we are (still) free.

  11. duh_swami says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 11:25 am

    ‘Radical Islam’, is both a phenomena and an enigma…Everyone talks about it, but no one can define it, or find a listing for it in the yellow pages….Strange but true.

  12. PAthena says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 12:53 pm

    President Barack Hussein Obama is responsible for the establishment of ISIS, for he had the American troops in Iraq removed, after President G. W. Bush had had them there after removing Saddam Hussein, because Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

  13. GP says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 1:25 pm

    What do “Moderate Muslims”, al Qaeda, Boko haram, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, and ISIL all have in common? IS LAM of course.

    Every mosque throughout America and the West is a recruiting center for these groups, including the one nearest you! The intelligence community better wrap their heads around this issue and every mosque and every imam preaching the “Religion of Peace” should be watched very very closely.

  14. Edward says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 3:27 pm

    CIA: Islamic State has 2 to 3 times more jihadis than previous estimate

    ‘Radical Islam’, is both a phenomena and an enigma…Everyone talks about it, but no one can define it, or find a listing for it in the yellow pages….Strange but true. – duh_swami September 12, 2014 at 11:25 am

    What do “Moderate Muslims”, al Qaeda, Boko haram, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, and ISIL all have in common? IS LAM of course. – GP September 12, 2014 at 1:25 pm

    And all follow the same Quran that have these Muhammadism, err Allah’s commandments, right!

    “And slay them wherever ye find them…” — Qur’an 2:191
    “…and slay them wherever ye find them…” — Qur’an 4:89
    “…slay the idolaters wherever ye find them…” — Qur’an 9:5
    “…they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain.” — Qur’an 9:111

    Then why do the politicians err in wonder to identify America’s NAMESES? The enemy amongst us who are drawing our death warrants! Whom we dare not identify because of PC, “cause we don’t want to offend no one.”

    To counter this eminent threat we should call upon our Uncle Sam, the ‘Sleeping Giant’ who should re-enact the former haberdasher and WWII President, Harry S. Truman’s War (to win) Doctrine.

    “Carry the battle to them. Don’t let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don’t ever apologize for anything” – Harry S. Truman circa: WWII (Give them Hell Harry)

    “I never gave anybody hell! I just told the truth and they thought it was hell” – Harry S.
    Truman

    • Edward says

      Sep 12, 2014 at 5:14 pm

      Another righteous thought quote from President Harry S. Truman:

      “The atom bomb was no ‘great decision.’ It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness” – Harry S. Truman

      “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever” – Isaiah 32:17

      Let us rely on history for our survival….history can be a deterrent against the Evil one tactics!

      That’s why the Liberals want to establish laws that enacts historical facts statue of limitations. Allowing them to wipe-out historical account from school books. This trend has aided the PC mindset that is fact becoming ‘The Americanism Way” culture killer!

      • Edward says

        Sep 12, 2014 at 5:23 pm

        Oops! It should’ve been written like this ….. “PC mindset that is fast becoming “The Americanism Way” culture killer!”

  15. Tim says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 4:45 pm

    I’m simply stunned that CIA don’t seem to have followed the twitter conversations between these animals. The ISIS members themselves estimated they have around 40,000 to 50,000 jihadis amongst them. And “hundreds” arrive daily from all over the world. This is not a small problem.

  16. Clyde says

    Sep 12, 2014 at 6:37 pm

    Among the Jihadis Islam is a warrior cult. How hard is this to understand? Many of our North American Indian tribes were warrior cults. They made war with other tribes, not over hunting grounds and natural resources, but for their warriors to enhance their status and honor. If you were a successful warrior you also got access to more women with some of them being concubines. Captured women forced to be your sex slaves. Is this familiar?
    Islam operates on the same primitive basic level

  17. fair_dinkum says

    Sep 13, 2014 at 5:51 am

    im sure its a lot more..

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