It has been six years since the United States led a coalition of forces into Iraq. The euphoria that followed the easy defeat of the Iraq Army gave way to dismay and disgust as "Phase 4" of the operation — the postconflict stage — fell apart and Iraq disintegrated. A misreading of the situation along with tactical and strategic blunders resulted in civil war and a bloody occupation. Fortunately, some of the most egregious mistakes have been corrected; sadly, the damage has not been undone. The question now is what lessons have we learned from the Iraqi misadventure.
The invasion of Iraq has profoundly affected international relations. Much damage has been done to the reputation of the U.S. Its image as a nation that respects the rule of law has been tarnished. Many Muslims, some one-third of the world's population, see the U.S. as hostile to their religion. Eight years of continuous conflict since 9/11 have strained U.S. military resources, undermined morale and exposed U.S. vulnerabilities. Most significantly, the promise to deliver freedom and democracy, security and stability to the Iraqi people has not been kept.
Meanwhile, Iran's position in the Persian Gulf has been strengthened. Its longtime rival, Iraq, has been weakened. The Shiite-led government in Baghdad now looks more sympathetically at its neighbor.