ERBIL, Iraq—On the outskirts of this city, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, there is a sprawling gated community with wrought iron fences, manicured lawns, and dozens of homes that look like they belong in an U.S. suburb. Aptly called the “American Village,” the residential enclave is one of several around Erbil that pay homage to the Kurds’s allies: the British, French, and Italians, among others. But symbolic of the way the Kurds see the United States, the American Village is the fanciest and home to top Kurdish officials.
“I love America. It’s a great country,” said Mabast Zaman, a 26-year-old Iraqi Kurd who lives nearby the compound, while waiting tables at a Tex-Mex restaurant in the American Village. Like so many here, he sings the United States’ praises on cue. The question is why—and for how long.
