article_snippet: The Iranians have invested heavily in the PMUs.
article_snippet: Christopher Harmer of the Institute for the Study of War says the role of both the Iranians and the Shia militia are evidence of the enduring weakness of the ISF.
article_snippet: The role of Suleimani and al Quds -- a foreign terrorist organization in Washington's view -- means that US airpower has not been made available.
article_snippet: The U.S. may not like Iranian influence in Iraq," says Christopher Harmer of the Institute for the Study of War, "but what The U.S. absolutely cannot do is provide direct support to an Iranian-led military operation.
article_snippet: What I'm trying to sort out, actually, is the degree to which their near-term embrace of the assistance their're receiving from Iran is a reaction to the existential threat [posed by ISIS], or whether it is something longer-term," he said.