{
  "id": 11821020,
  "title": "They Came. They Ruined. They Left",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/they-came-they-ruined-they-left",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-03T23:45:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/they-came-they-ruined-they-left/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq under the pretext of eliminating weapons of mass destruction, ultimately leading to a protracted political and human disaster. The occupation dismantled Iraq's governmental institutions, leaving a power vacuum that allowed former soldiers, Ba'athists, nationalists, Islamists, criminals, and foreign jihadists to join an expanding insurgency. Sectarian violence, particularly between Sunnis and Shia, intensified, leading to the bombing of the al-Askari shrine in Samarra in 2006 and the unleashing of a brutal cycle of violence. Despite the United States' efforts, such as the 2007 surge and the Sunni Awakening, a durable political settlement remained elusive. The occupation inadvertently created conditions that facilitated the rise of ISIS, a consequence that could not have been foreseen. The human cost of the invasion was immense, with millions of deaths, displaced people, and a generation left to grapple with a shattered society. A quarter-century later, the scars remain deep, as Iraq struggles with high unemployment, an under-educated populace, and a volatile social landscape.",
  "summary": "by Nilantha Ilangamuwa They came. They ruined. They handed us back to the same old enemies. This is how a war supposedly fought for security can end, with a country left carrying the consequences long after the soldiers who invaded it have gone. Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the American-led wars in Afghanistan and […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}