A White House spokesperson has declared the United States was at war with the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, seeking to rub out another semantic flap over its Syria policy.
In a series of television interviews US Secretary of State John Kerry had appeared to be reluctant to term the expansion of US operations against IS in Iraq and Syria as "war".
But pressed to clear up doubts about how President Barack Obama sees the conflict against the group, which is also known as ISIS and ISIL, the White House and Pentagon left little doubt.
"The United States is at war with ISIL in the same way that we are at war with Al-Qaeda and its al-Qaeda affiliates all around the globe," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
Pentagon spokesman, Rear Admiral John Kirby said that the US was not fighting the last Iraq war and used similar language to Earnest.
"But make no mistake, we know we are at war with ISIL in the same way we're at war and continue to be at war with Al Qaida and its affiliates," he said.
Mr Kerry said he today that he was comfortable the United States would form a broad-based coalition to fight IS but said it would not be appropriate for Iran to be involved in the efforts.
Speaking in Ankara after meeting Turkish leaders during a tour of the Middle East, Mr Kerry said it would be premature to layout the role of individual nations in the coalition Washington is seeking to build against ISIL, the acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, the group's former name.
An indication of the challenge facing the US was given by the CIA, which said IS militants in Iraq and Syria now have about 20,000 to 31,500 fighters on the ground, much higher than a previous estimate of 10,000.
Among those in Syria are 15,000 foreign fighters, including 2,000 Westerners, some of whom have joined IS, a US intelligence official said.
The figures were revealed one day after US President Barack Obama vowed to expand an offensive against IS extremists.
The plan foresees new air strikes against IS in Syria, expanded attacks in Iraq and new support for Iraqi government forces.
"CIA assesses the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS) 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," CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said in a statement.
"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."
Senior US officials have voiced concern at the presence of foreign fighters among the Sunni extremists who hold Western passports, potentially enabling them to return from the battlefield prepared to carry out terror attacks in Europe or the United States.
IS militants have seized large swathes of territory in Iraq in recent months, displaying brutal tactics and releasing videos of the grisly executions of two US reporters.
The White House has insisted that President Obama is authorised to strike IS in Iraq and Syria under a law passed by Congress after the 11 September attacks in 2001.
However, Obama learned yesterday that he may have a wait on his hands before Congress signs off on his plan to train and equip Syrian rebels, a key plank in his strategy to destroy IS radicals.
The Pentagon also announced that US combat aircraft will soon start flying out of a base in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq as part of a "more aggressive" air campaign against IS jihadists.
