Two senior U.S. generals show up at a small city in northern Syria — Manbij. Why were they there? And why now? The answer begins last March when images emerged showing U.S. troops flying the American flag on patrol there. It was unusual to see such a public display of American boots on the ground in Syria. And that was the point. The Pentagon deployed these troops to keep the peace between nearby Turkish troops and Kurdish fighters. “You know we are very clear about our presence there. These patrols are overt.” Both are sworn enemies of each other. But both are also U.S. allies. Turkey is a NATO ally, and the Kurds have been key to helping the U.S. defeat Islamic State. So to keep the peace in the city an American show of force was necessary. Now the common enemy for everyone had been Islamic State. But with that fight winding down, old rivalries have again taken center stage. The Turks consider Kurds terrorists and say they are protecting their own border. And so Turkey has launched an offensive against the Kurds just a three hour drive from Manbij in Afrin. Turkey’s president has said Manbij is his Army’s next objective after Afrin. The problem is American troops are still there. Here’s what we know about their presence. They’ve been advising Kurds there since 2016 and still continue overt patrols in the city. Plus there’s a U.S. air base that’s just a 45-minute drive away. At times, U.S. patrols near the city have also received fire from Turkish-backed rebels. “We identified this to our Turkish allies, and they have taken appropriate measures to get that under control.” These rebels operate in territory just north of the city. It’s part of a buffer zone Turkey already controls along its border with Syria. The U.S. has said it has no intention of leaving, that it will support the Kurds there despite Turkey’s rhetoric. And that’s what this visit by the generals tried to show. But if the offensive turns towards Manbij, U.S. troops could find themselves stuck between two bitter enemies putting American lives at risk. One of the generals said that if U.S. forces were attacked, they would stay and fight.