Iraq War 15 Years On: Views of Baghdad residents on the years of bloodshed

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Iraq is experiencing a period of what has been described as 'nervous calm' in the wake of ISIL's defeat. There have been no major terror attacks in Baghdad this year, though tensions remain. Jack Barton took to the streets of the capital city to hear what ordinary Iraqis had to say about the years of bloodshed, the current stability and what might lay ahead.

In Baghdad there are few fond memories of the chaos that followed the US-led invasion in 2003.

IMAD ALI ELECTRICAL ENGINEER "A lot of people were killed here, without anything, without guilty, also my country is destroyed, you know there is no electricity, no service everything building is destroyed."

The defeat of ISIL has seen a semblance of normality return. But security concerns persist, particularly among minorities.

YOUSIF CHRISTIAN SHOP OWNER "According to my beliefs, we should have hope and faith, but if you start listening to the political news, it's hopeless."

Some say there is hope, particularly when it's the young speaking.

YUSEF AHMED ARCHITECTURE STUDENT "People learn from their own experience of sectarianism. We didn't get anything out of it but destruction. If they open a new chapter and forget about the past, I think we will have a chance".

Iraq is in many ways a man's world. But women continue to broaden the gains achieved since Saddam's time.

SIHAM AL-KABI CHIEF OF WOMEN'S STUDIES CENTRE BAGHDAD UNIVERSITY "For like three to four or maybe more decades, Iraqi women have occupied positions that are exclusively male in other societies. For example, our department of mechanics. The majority of the students there are females."

Though problems persist and politics usually takes the blame.

MOHAMMED QASSIM ARCHITECTURE STUDENT "I wish all these politicians would get changed. It shouldn't be like this. Because these recent faces in the government are the one who are behind the sabotage, corruption, destruction and sectarianism that exists in Iraq."

Sectarianism has been hard to eradicate, but it is happening, even in the most unlikely places.

MUHAMMAD ALWAHISH, VICE-PRESIDENT MONGOLS MOTORCYCLE CLUB BAGHDAD "Our team consists of Sunnis, Shiites, Christians, Turkmen, Kurds, all the sects of Iraq."

CAPTAIN YONIS EMAD, PRESIDENT MONGOLS MOTORCYCLE CLUB BAGHDAD "Iraqi people love life. We are ambitious and full of hope that the country will recover and the dark clouds will soon go away. God willing, there'll be a new era in which we the youth will try to improve ourselves."

It's too early to speak of optimism even if Iraq is clearly changing gears.

JACK BARTON BAGHDAD "Whether you like bike gangs or not there is no getting away from the fact there are a variety of voices in Iraq today, breaking all the old clichés and those voices want to be heard, Jack Barton, CGTN, Baghdad."