Joe Burton: Airstrikes may aid ISIS

Regarding the Dec. 8 editorial “Obama’s call for calm”: It was good to see President Obama show what a genuine leader, a real statesman, does and says in a crisis. But his commitment to continue airstrikes against ISIS is problematic.

From a military standpoint, bombing weapon installations and army bases, seems reasonable. But time and again, news reports about bombings in Syria and Iraq tell of civilian deaths, including many children. The bombings increase the flow of refugees leaving their homes, fearing that they and their families will be the next victims of war, either from the ground or from the air.

Civilian deaths in bombing raids may also be a recruitment tool for ISIS, as those who have lost families and friends seek revenge by joining ISIS.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Joe Burton: Airstrikes may aid ISIS."