Despite bombing, Islamic State is no weaker than a year ago
By KEN DILANIAN, ZEINA KARAM and BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press
Jul 31, 2015 2:19 AM CDT
This picture released on July 12, 2015 by the Rased News Network, a Facebook page affiliated with Islamic State militants, shows an Islamic State militant fires a heavy weapon during a battle against Syrian government forces, in Homs province, Syria. After billions of dollars spent and more than 10,000...   (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — American intelligence agencies have concluded that the Islamic State group is no weaker than it was when the U.S.-led bombing campaign began a year ago.

That's despite billions of dollars spent and more than 10,000 extremist fighters killed.

The military campaign has prevented Iraq's collapse and put the Islamic State under increasing pressure in northern Syria. It has squeezed the militants' self-proclaimed capital in Raqqa. But intelligence analysts see the overall situation as a strategic stalemate.

The Islamic State remains a well-funded extremist army able to replenish its ranks with foreign jihadis as quickly as the U.S. can eliminate them. And the group has expanded to other countries, including Libya, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Afghanistan.

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