Officials: U.S. efforts to save civilians are slowing the fight against ISIS

American intelligence analysts believe the U.S. could be making better progress against ISIS if they weren't trying to prevent civilian deaths.

The New York Times reports that the U.S. has avoided targeting seven key buildings in Raqqa, Syria, that serve as ISIS headquarters. And last week, U.S. forces didn't stop ISIS from overtaking Ramadi, Iraq. American officials have admitted they avoid the large ISIS targets because the attacks could kill civilians.

The Times notes that many Iraqi commanders, and some American officers, think the U.S. is using too much judiciousness with its air power. "The international alliance is not providing enough support compared with ISIS’ capabilities on the ground in Anbar," Maj. Muhammed al-Dulaimi, an Iraqi officer in the Anbar Province, which contains Ramadi, told the Times. "We lost large territories in Anbar because of the inefficiency of the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes."

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The plan is backfiring, too: ISIS militants are using civilian areas to avoid being bombed by U.S.-led airstrikes.