Iraq now ranked second among world's failed states

Iraq has emerged as the world's second most unstable country, behind Sudan, more than four years after President Bush ordered the US invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, according to a survey released on June 18. The 2007 Failed States Index, produced by Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace, said Iraq suffered a third straight year of deterioration in 2006 with diminished results across a range of social, economic, political and military indicators. Iraq ranked fourth last year. Afghanistan, another war-torn country where US and NATO forces are battling a Taliban insurgency nearly six years after a US-led invasion, was in eighth place. "Iraq and Afghanistan, the two main fronts in the global war on terror, both suffered over the past year," a report that accompanied the figures said. "Their experiences show that billions of dollars in development and security aid may be futile unless accompanied by a functioning government, trustworthy leaders, and realistic plans to keep the peace and develop the economy."