The 20th anniversary of the War in Iraq was commemorated on Sunday. An unprecedented aerial attack was followed by troops on the ground. Within weeks, pressure from the U.S. and its allies forced Saddam Hussein's regime to fall, but the war was far from over.
7News' Carl Willis spoke with Dennis Schenker, former Assistant Secretary-Near Eastern Affairs. Schenker served under President George W. Bush and spoke with 7News about things the U.S. has learned since the first invasion.
"I think there's a better understanding in the United States about the impact that we can have on domestic affairs in countries 6,000 miles away. We went in thinking not only would we topple Saddam, which we could, but that we could transform the country into a democracy. And we faced a different type of insurgency than we've seen, and we've faced a different type of limitations onto what we can accomplish. There's a lot of responsibility on the people of these countries, but we can't do it alone."
Watch the full interview below: