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Fighters Abandoning al-Qaeda Affiliates to Join Islamic State, U.S. Officials Say
(Washington Post) Greg Miller - "Small groups from a number of al-Qaeda affiliates have defected to ISIS," or the Islamic State, as the group is also known, said a U.S. official with access to classified intelligence assessments. "And this problem will probably become more acute as ISIS continues to rack up victories" in Iraq and Syria. The launching of U.S. airstrikes has raised new questions, including whether the bombings will hurt the Islamic State's ability to draw recruits or elevate its status among jihadists. U.S. officials expressed concern that the Islamic State may now place greater emphasis on carrying out attacks against the U.S. and its allies. U.S. officials estimate that the Islamic State has as many as 10,000 fighters, including 3,000 to 5,000 from countries beyond its base in Iraq and Syria.