The 2003 invasion of Iraq was undertaken to dismantle a regime that had long threatened its own population and regional peace, as well as to establish a stable, democratic state in the heart of the Middle East. This Adelphi looks at the legacy of that intervention. It analyzes the evolution of the insurgency, the descent into civil war and the 'surge' as a counter-insurgency strategy and examines US and Iraqi efforts to reconstruct the state's military and civilian capacity. This book seeks to answer three questions that are central to the country's future. Will it continue to suffer high levels of violence or even slide back into a vicious civil war? Will Iraq continue on a democratic path, as exemplified by the three competitive national elections held since 2005? And does the new Iraq pose a threat to its neighbors?

Adelphi series ; 434-435. Includes maps of: [Baghdad]; [Iraq].

Introduction: assessing the future of Iraq -- Understanding the drivers of violence in Iraq -- From insurgency to civil war: the purveyors of violence in Iraq -- Iraq, US policy and the rebirth of counter-insurgency doctrine -- Rebuilding the civil and military capacity of the Iraqi state -- The politics of Iraq: the exclusive elite bargain and the rise of a new authoritarianism -- From bully to target: Iraq's changing role in the Middle East.