(CNN) -- As U.S. President Barack Obama decides on the best strategy to deal with the threat posed by ISIS in Iraq, Syria and beyond, his final plan of action will undoubtedly include the participation of like-minded allied countries and regional partners. One such partner are the Kurds of northern Iraq who regard ISIS as the biggest threat since the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003. The Kurds, however, are hoping for a more robust and lasting U.S. commitment as part of rekindled Kurdish-American cooperation. Meanwhile, it might be timely for Washington to reassess its previous refusal to directly engage with Kurdish armed forces. As the last few weeks of military battles against ISIS show, when American assistance has not been forthcoming, the Iraqi Kurds have turned to Iran for help.
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U.S. President Barack Obama is set to announce his strategy for dealing with ISIS
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Alex Vatanka and Sarkawt Shamsulddin say the Iraqi Kurds stand out as potential partners
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The Kurdish Regional Government is secular and Western orientated, they say
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But the threat of ISIS means the KRG will accept whatever help it can, the authors say
Kurdish Regional Government
KRG
Now, with its record of relative stability and nascent democracy in danger, officials in the @placeholder are once again turning to the United States.
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The fact that the United States has good relations with all Iraqi Kurdish parties gives @placeholder leverage among the Kurdish parties.
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But, before any practical steps can be taken, @placeholder first has to decide whether it wants to go down this path.
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As American policy-makers wrestle with this question in @placeholder, Iraq's Kurds have had to look elsewhere for support.
Iran
In June, following the barrage of military victories of ISIS, @placeholder was at first the only country that proved willing to come to the aid of the Kurds with military supplies and advisors.
Kurds
Kurds
Kurdish
Kurdish
Kurds
Kurds
In June, following the barrage of military victories of ISIS, Iran was at first the only country that proved willing to come to the aid of the @placeholder with military supplies and advisors.
U.S.
U.S.
American
American
U.S.
They prefer the @placeholder over other foreign partners but are hardly in a position to be overly selective given the imminent threat from ISIS.