It's been 20 years since the US invaded Iraq – long enough for my undergraduate students to see it as a relic of the past

A U.S. tank moves past a painting of Saddam Hussein in March 2003 in Nasiriyah, Iraq. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The United States invaded Iraq 20 years ago in March 2003, claiming it had to disarm the Iraqi government of weapons of mass destruction and end the dictatorial rule of President Saddam Hussein.

U.S. soldiers captured Saddam in December 2003. And a 15-month search revealed that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction to seize.