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The Kirkuk issue in the Iraqi Kurdistan state building processes in the recent period of Iraqi history has been analyzed. General scientifi c and special historical methods of research have been used by the author. The conclusions that the general threat to Iraq from the Islamic State has become a factor of the convergence of various political interests and forces for stabilization of the situation and future development have been made by the author. Despite the aspiration of Iraqi Kurds to achieve broad rights and freedoms until full state independence, the separation of Kurdish territories from Iraq and the solving of the Kirkuk issue is unlikely in the near future, because it will not only lead to the fi nal disintegration of Iraq, but it can provoke another regional armed confl ict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores differing strategies and tactics employed by the peshmerga forces against the Islamic State (IS). This experience highlights a number of issues which are relevant to contemporary security debates. Firstly, the struggle highlights important aspects of the development of the peshmerga and their strategies as an organised non-state military force (defending as it does the Kurdistan Region in Iraq). Secondly, the peshmerga-IS conflict is an important case study of small wars. The strategy and tactics used here are therefore useful empirical references about the effectiveness of military force in counter-insurgency. Finally, the war against IS united the peshmerga forces, possibly for the first time, and effected a radical change in the Kurdish use of military tactics, including the shift from defensive to offensive strategies. The article examines the methods employed by the peshmerga forces against IS, explains why the cases of Makhmour and Shingal stand out as tipping points, and discusses the evolution of Kurdish defence capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Islamic State's rise has shaped the battlefield in Iraq and Syria, as well as shifting alliances between the United States and countries in the region. Rather than try to placate its adversaries, Washington should cooperate more closely with the Kurds. Kurdish militia in Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria have shown the commitment and capability to confront ISIS. In addition to security assistance—air support and the supply of sophisticated weapons—Kurds deserve diplomatic and political support. Iraqi Kurdistan is emerging as the world's next newest nation and America's best friend in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]