U.S. troops and civilian aid workers are in the Syrian city, helping local officials restore basic services such as food, water and electricity.
But the recapture of ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria is only a partial win for U.S. policy. After seven years of civil war, the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad remains in power. The other U.S. objectives — the end of the Assad regime, a new Syrian constitution and democratic elections — remain unfulfilled.
Despite the defeat of ISIS, Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters this week that U.S. forces will remain in Syria.
The intention, he said, is to prevent the appearance of "ISIS 2.0."
