These increased civilian casualties are tragic from both a human and a political strategy. Because as civilians begin to increasingly fear death from US airstrikes, it gives ISIS yet another tool to help it recruit future terrorists. These are people with nothing that are in a living hell. They lack basic essentials such as a safe place to live, food, water, sanitation, and medical care. As we ramp up bombing and start killing more civilians, you can bet that ISIS is going to leverage that as proof that America “is waging war on Islam.” Together with the attempted Muslim travel ban, talk of registering Muslims, and the Trump Administration’s harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric, we are making it easier for ISIS to recruit.