The CIA now estimates that the Islamic State has between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters in Syria and Iraq. Ryan Crocker, former ambassador to Syria and Iraq, said the US currently has no clue who the non-Islamic State opposition is in Syria. Retired Gen. John R. Allen has been chosen to coordinate the military effort against the Islamic State. US combat aircraft will soon start flying from a base in Irbil in Iraq. Ten Arab states — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq — agreed to support the US-led coalition against the Islamic State “as appropriate.” The US sent 20 troops to the Central African Republic as a prelude to reopening the embassy, which has been closed since late 2012.
