Do you think that Iraq is better off today than what it used to be before the U.S. invasion? Do you believe that the lessons learned from the Iraqi experience would mean that the United States will be very hesitant to start another war in the Middle East?

The United States decided to invade Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power in March 2003 due to the wrong belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). It resulted in huge loss of lives among Americans (4500 soldiers) and Iraqis and hefty costs of almost five billion dollars. This also led to the rise of isolationism among segments of American public opinion and even President Trump during his campaign advocated U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East. Do you think that Iraq is better off today than what it used to be before the U.S. invasion? Do you believe that the lessons learned from the Iraqi experience would mean that the United States will be very hesitant to start another war in the Middle East?