TwentyyearsaftertheUnitedStates-ledoverthrowofIraq"spresidentSaddamHussein,Iraqiscontinuetofaceanuphillbattleinrebuildingtheircountry.

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"Thepost-SaddamHusseinerainIraqhasbeenalitanyoffailures,"saidJawaidIqbal,chairmanoftheDepartmentofWestAsianandNorthAfricanStudiesatAligarhMuslimUniversityinIndia.

"TheUSinvasionofthecountryledtotheinstallationofasociallyisolatedpuppetregimethatquicklybecamethetargetofanarmedinsurgency.Furthermore,thedestructionofSaddam"sformerstateopenedapowervacuumandenabledtheemergenceofrivalmilitias."

Iraq"sillegaloccupationwasspearheadedbytheUSandBritishforcesonMarch20,2003,afterWashingtonaccusedBaghdadofdevelopingweaponsofmassdestruction,aclaimlaterfoundtobefalse.ThefallofBaghdadonApril9wassymbolizedbythetopplingofatoweringstatueofSaddam,whofled.HewasfoundandcapturedfivemonthslaterandwashangedinDecember2006.

ExpertssaidIraqmustnotlosesightofitsfightagainsttheoddsandcontinuetoengagewith"disconnected"youth.MorethanhalfofIraq"s40millionpeopleareundertheageof25,theUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgrammehassaid.

Thepost-SaddamHusseinerahasbeenmarkedbyinefficiency,Iqbalsaid."Iraq"sfinancesareinshambleseventhoughthecountryshouldhaveearned$500billioninoilrevenuesince2003.Youngpeoplehaveconsistentlyorganizedprotestmovementstodemandbasicservices."

NagapushpaDevendra,aWestAsiaanalystandresearchscholarattheUniversityofErfurtinGermany,saidSaddam"soverthrowchangedthedynamicsofIraqipolitics.

"Itdriftedawayfromformingagovernmentbasedon"nationalunity"toa"majoritygovernment"."

InIraq"spower-sharingarrangement,thecountry"spresidentisaKurd,itsprimeministeraShiaandtheparliamentspeakerisaSunni.ElectionswereheldinOctober2021,twoyearsafteranti-governmentdemonstrationsresultedinpoliticalgridlock.

LastOctoberthecountry"sparliamentelectedAbdulLatifRashidaspresident.InFebruaryhewasquotedassayingthatIraqisnowatpeace,intentonrebuildingeconomiclifeandmaintainingagovernmentthatservesthewholecountryandtheregion,TheArabWeeklyreported.

Challengesahead

"Abigchallengeisthereconstructionofthecountry,"Devendrasaid."Todate,manyregionalandexternalactorshavepledgedfundsbuthavenottransferredthemduetothepreviousgovernment"scorruptionandmismanagement.Andwithoutgreateraccountabilityandtransparencyfromthegovernment,itwillbeextremelydifficulttobreakthecycleofcorruptionandinefficiency."

LastyearauditorsinIraqdiscoveredamassivenetworkofbusinessesandofficialssaidtohaveembezzledabout$2.5billionfromthecountry"staxauthority.

WhenIraq"sDeputyPrimeMinisterFuadHusseinvisitedtheUnitedStatesInstituteofPeaceinFebruary,hesaidthat"fightingcorruptpeopleisnotsoeasy".

AbdulWahedJalalNori,authorofState-buildingunderForeignOccupation:TheCaseofIraq2003-2008,toldChinaDailythat"AmericansinvadedIraqnottobringdemocracyorfreedomtoIraqis".

HealsosaidwhatcameaftermadeSaddam"senemies"admitIraqathistimewasfarbetter"andthestate"wasrunmuchmoreefficiently".

TheUNestimatesthat3.2millionchildreninIraqdonotattendschool,citingdecadesofconflictandunderinvestmentthathavehamperedwhatusedtobe"oneofthemostrobusteducationsystemsintheregion".