Although the Iraq War officially ended in December 2011, it continues to have repercussions in Iraq and for the world at large 10 years after the United States and some of its allies invaded the country purportedly to stop Saddam Hussein from using the weapons of mass destruction he supposedly had his hands on and save Iraqis from his regime. Serious reflection is needed so that the lessons of the war can be learned.

On Tuesday, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the start of the invasion, at least 22 people were killed by car bombs and roadside blasts in Shi'ite districts across Baghdad, casualties of the rising sectarian tensions in the country this year. Such tragedies happen on an almost daily basis in Iraq, and they show that despite the deaths of at least 120,000 civilians the specter of the war continues to hang over the country. Mired in sectarian rifts, social unrest and political crisis, the country is struggling to weave the fabric of the nation together.

The prospects for the country look bleak, given the differences between the major political forces and worsening security situation, and there is no guarantee that the country will not again become a flashpoint in the Middle East.