The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the al-Qaeda inspired group that has taken over a string of cities in Iraq, is rapidly getting stronger and accumulating more weapons, fighters, and cash, according to U.S. intelligence assessments disclosed to The Washington Post on Tuesday. A senior U.S. official tells the paper that ISIS “is the strongest it has been in several years,” suggesting that the group has rebuilt much of the capability it had at the height of the Iraq War.
