U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter (C) walks with Minister of Peshmerga, Mustafa Sayid Qadir (R) and Falah Mustafa, Kurdistan Regional Government Minister of Foreign Relations (L) as he arrives in Erbil, Iraq July 24, 2015. Carter arrived on an unannounced visit on Friday to Erbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region whose forces have emerged as one of America's strongest partners in the fight against Islamic State. REUTERS/Carolyn Kaster/Pool - RTX1LME5

Lobbying 2015: Iraqi Kurds to US: Don't forget, we were your friends first

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U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter (C) walks with Minister of Peshmerga, Mustafa Sayid Qadir (R) and Falah Mustafa, Kurdistan Regional Government Minister of Foreign Relations (L) as he arrives in Erbil, Iraq July 24, 2015. Carter arrived on an unannounced visit on Friday to Erbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region whose forces have emerged as one of America's strongest partners in the fight against Islamic State. REUTERS/Carolyn Kaster/Pool - RTX1LME5

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