Was Iraq a success?

Overall, I believe the war in Iraq was neither a complete success nor a waste of time. Rather, it had moments of each. The original goals, topple Saddam Hussein and find weapons of mass destruction, were half completed. If the United States was trying to find weapons that did not exist, there was no chance they could succeed; however, I believe this to be positive because the weapons never existed in the first place. Though removing an oppressive dictator from power is beneficial, Hussein was able to suppress al Qaeda and other terrorist groups that consequently wreaked havoc on the country once he was gone. Yes, America implemented a democracy in Iraq, which is taking steps toward more freedoms; however, only time will tell to see if the democracy in Iraq will float toward illiberal democracy or constitutional liberalism. I believe it was good that the United States exited from the war, because at this point, Iraq needs to take control of their affairs. If the country is to succeed, they need to take the reins and not lean on America as a crutch. The success of the war in Iraq is yet to be determined; though it appears as though America has laid a solid foundation, anything can happen from here.