Iraq war’s aftermath was a disaster for the US — the Iran war is headed in the same direction

U.S. Marines crossing into Iraq from Kuwait on March 21, 2003.
AP Photo/Laurent Rebours
Farah N. Jan, University of Pennsylvania

The United States military achieved every objective it set when it went to war in Iraq in 2003. Decapitation: Saddam Hussein was captured, tried and hanged. Air dominance: total, within days. Regime collapse: The Iraqi government fell in 21 days.

Now, consider Iraq more than 20 years after the U.S.-Iraq war. Iraq...