As the fight against the Islamic State (IS) seems to be entering its final stages in Iraq, there are rising concerns among the country's Kurds about their prospects in the post-IS phase, especially as the procurement of advanced weaponry by the Baghdad government appears to put Kurds at a serious military disadvantage in the long run.
As various parties in the country embrace their places and roles in the new order that will emerge once IS is driven out of major urban areas in Iraq, the Kurds see themselves in an increasing standoff with the Shiite paramilitary groups and the federal government in Baghdad.