The chairs of the Senate and House intelligence committees agree that the Taliban is gaining strength, meanwhile the Obama administration continues to release Taliban fighters in secret to strengthen peace negotiations. 

From CNN: 

“I think we'd both say that what we found is that the Taliban is stronger,” said Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on CNN’s “State of the Union,” while sitting with Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan.

"The Taliban has a shadow system of governors in many provinces. They've gone up north. They've gone to the east. Attacks are up,” she told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley.

Rogers, agreeing with her on the Taliban’s impact, added other reasons for what he assessed as the group’s increasing strength.

“This is a huge problem. And what we have found is maybe the policies, the announced date of withdrawal, the negotiations with the Taliban, have worked against what our endgame is here,” Rogers said.

From Fox News: 

The "strategic release" program of high-level detainees is designed to give the US a bargaining chip in some areas of Afghanistan where international forces struggle to exercise control, the report said.

Under the risky program, the hardened fighters must promise to give up violence and are threatened with further punishment, but there is nothing to stop them resuming attacks against Afghan and American troops.