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By Phil Stewart ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash 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. Carter was expected to meet the Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barzani as well as U.S. forces advising and training the Kurdish region's security forces, known as peshmerga. While lamenting the shortcomings of Iraq's army, which collapsed in the face of Islamic State's advance last year, Pentagon officials have solidly praised the Kurds.More...