Twenty years ago, the United States declared war on Iraq. A war that would turn into a military quagmire and a resounding political failure. Adel Bakawan, director of the French Research Centre on Iraq, looks back at the events that led to the American invasion and its consequences for the Iraqi political system. Since then, the country has been struggling to maintain its territorial, societal and state unity, as demonstrated by the recent elections and the new political alliances.