The following years would be marked by waves of horrific violence and sectarian warfare and, about decade later, another war, this time against the Islamic State (IS)

Nostalgia for a fallen regime — despite its cruel ways — is more of an expression of discontent with the present than a desire to return to the past

A detailed account of the aftermath of the US intervention in Iraq and the myriad problems that it produced

The whereabouts of Saddam's body and the noose with which he was hanged remain a mystery

An analysis of the failings of Iraqi nation-building since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the effects of these failings as felt by those living in the country today

Escaping the 'Republic of Chaos' and the US-Iran clash

A look at the cause of security breakdown in Iraq, the armed groups that filled the void, and the sectarian tensions this has created

The law seeks the hegemony of large parties to the detriment of smaller ones with less money

The terror group's greatest advantage lies in its "army in detention" in prisons (numbering 10,000 in Syria and 20,000 in Iraq

A movement based on Arab nationalism took control of Syria in 1963 and went on to shape the politics of the region for decades after