In a recent interview newly aired over the weekend, Syrian President Bashar Assad warned that the situation in his country is getting worse, not better, since the US became involved in the war on ISIS.

Assad accused the US of trying to “sugarcoat” the situation, noting ISIS had actually expanded its territory since the air war began, and that the US attacks had accomplished little but given ISIS a recruiting bonanza.

That does seem in keeping with reports out of Syria over the past several months, as ISIS’ recruitment has soared since the US joined the war, and other than destroying civilian infrastructure, it’s not clear what the US is even hitting in Syria.

While the Assad government had initially hoped that the US strikes would at least keep ISIS busy while they softened up smaller rebel factions, this has not panned out, and if anything al-Qaeda, the second largest rebel faction in Syria, has been growing dramatically.