The new era ushered in by the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003 continues to have a ripple effect on Iraq and the Middle East. The shortlived war brought the Baath regime to an end and a new post-Saddam period begun. For the United States, the invasion of Iraq was a matter of regime change. The events that unfolded after the end of the major combat turned it into a costly invasion and a difficult process of state building. While overthrowing Saddam Hussein was the easy part, building stability and starting a new political process in Iraq proved to be extremely complicated and difficult. In the aftermath of the war, the state mechanism in Iraq collapsed and a huge vacuum of power emerged.