American officials walking through a market, talking to locals, drinking coffee on the streets. This is Manbij, the northern Syrian city that U.S.-backed troops liberated from the rule of the Islamic State over two years ago. And this is Manbij, too. The location where four Americans and at least 12 others were killed on Jan. 16 in a suicide bombing claimed by the terrorist group. Before that, Manbij seemed to be a good example of a U.S. safe haven. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jeanne Shaheen visited in July and toured the city center. Here’s Graham standing in front of the restaurant where the four Americans were later killed. “There was an attack today on a restaurant. I think it’s the same restaurant I visited with the Kurds and Arabs and others in Manbij, Syria.” Here’s William Roebuck, senior adviser for the coalition, touring Manbij in March 2018. He’s with Maj. Gen. James Jarrard, the head of special operations in Syria and Iraq. And here’s Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, walking in the city center in June 2018, enjoying a cookie. He’s just steps away from the site of the Jan. 16 attack that killed two Green Berets, a Defense Department civilian and a military contractor. These photo-ops were designed to show that the Americans and their Kurdish allies had the city under control, and would be willing to defend it. One popular stop was the restaurant where the deadly attack unfolded, and where American officials and troops would stop for roasted chicken. In a recent local TV interview, the owner said he left the city when ISIS took control, and only came back once it was safe again. But that safety turned out to be much more elusive than it appeared.