Iraq

In the spring of 2003, the United States and it allies invaded Iraq to remove one of the world's most brutal dictators, Saddam Hussein, from power. But when the Hussein regime fell, Iraqis wondered whether their country would hold together, or if it would disintegrate under the force of long-standing ethnic and religious rivalries. The international community also watched closely. With the world's second-largest proven oil reserves, Iraq holds great economic importance for an energy-hungry globe…