Yeah, like their mothers and babies.
The West is at war with an ideology; Islam. Those 'civilians' are Islamists. If the decision was strictly strategic and entailed ONLY the battle for a city I can see though disagree with the logic; however, if it was a 'humanitarian' premised decision it was an idiot decision; there is nothing humanitarian about letting the enemy escape; THAT is called suicide. THAT is what Odumbo is doing in GITMO. Strategically from a big picture war perspective; killing Islam requires killing Islamists and or rendering Islamists impotent.
I my opinion, the war on Islamists should be like a pest control; operation. Where the pests become a problem they get exterminated -NOT resettled... We go in, exterminate, then leave. No occupations, no nation building, no democratizing, no nothing but a clear message -DEATH to Islamists.