SHOCKING! This Day and Week in History

This glorious cluster photo reminds me both that we as earthlings are tiny indeed and yet metaphorically that each event of which we are a part -- like that of each event in the universe -- may have infinite effects.

I promise readers something more clearly beautiful and positive soon. Yet for now, I can't pass up the implications of this day and week by blacking out the history here. In what way might you agree that paying attention to history is one necessary part of peace -- a kind of journey or pathway toward a better day? Or not? If so, how -- and in which specific ways -- does history work for your understanding of the whole?

Today, however, there's much of which to take note which is sobering indeed.

First -- here's a startling LEAD article from a not so progressive site:

Mar 19, 2003:
War in Iraq begins

On this day in 2003, the United States, along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, initiates war on Iraq. Just after explosions began to rock Baghdad, Iraq's capital, U.S. President George W. Bush announced in a televised address, "At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger." President Bush and his advisors built much of their case for war on the idea that Iraq, under dictator Saddam Hussein, possessed or was in the process of building weapons of mass destruction.

Hostilities began about 90 minutes after the U.S.-imposed deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face war passed. The first targets, which Bush said were "of military importance," were hit with Tomahawk cruise missiles from U.S. fighter-bombers and warships stationed in the Persian Gulf. In response to the attacks, Republic of Iraq radio in Baghdad announced, "the evil ones, the enemies of God, the homeland and humanity, have committed the stupidity of aggression against our homeland and people."

Though Saddam Hussein had declared in early March 2003 that, "it is without doubt that the faithful will be victorious against aggression," he went into hiding soon after the American invasion, speaking to his people only through an occasional audiotape. Coalition forces were able to topple his regime and capture Iraq's major cities in just three weeks, sustaining few casualties. President Bush declared the end of major combat operations on May 1, 2003. Despite the defeat of conventional military forces in Iraq, an insurgency has continued an intense guerrilla war in the nation in the years since military victory was announced, resulting in thousands of coalition military, insurgent and civilian deaths.

After an intense manhunt, U.S. soldiers found Saddam Hussein hiding in a six-to-eight-foot deep hole, nine miles outside his hometown of Tikrit. He did not resist and was uninjured during the arrest. A soldier at the scene described him as "a man resigned to his fate." Hussein was arrested and began trial for crimes against his people, including mass killings, in October 2005.

In June 2004, the provisional government in place since soon after Saddam's ouster transferred power to the Iraqi Interim Government. In January 2005, the Iraqi people elected a 275-member Iraqi National Assembly. A new constitution for the country was ratified that October. On November 6, 2006, Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. After an unsuccessful appeal, he was executed on December 30, 2006.

No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.
End (This article can be found at History.com here

My major question is WHY? Why do we take so long -- even in the most recent of history -- to learn or re-learn the glaring lessons from the past? How many times must we repeat the same?

So this is a kind of collage for the week. My disclaimer is that I am not sure anything here will be of any use and perhaps some of this may even overwhelm and paralyze faith and hope in some way. If so, please ignore and/or COMMENT. For this week I'm going to free commenters from having to sign in. Do offer courtesy in your comments.

I hope to add more as I have time yet you may want to look up the following links yourself for more on This Day, This Week and the theme: HISTORY and PEACE:

This Week in Peace History here

I have MAJOR issues with this VERY BELATED headline. I guess better late than never. But how can any headline be more likely to encourage the answer "duh!" especially among those whose nation and people have been so negatively affected by the same?

The headline is "Drones at issue as US Rebuilds Ties to Pakistan" (Looks like an original try at a title may have been "Drones at issue as Pakistan tries to mend US ties" -- going by the URL anyway) For this article just in this am GO
here

May we each find our own best ways to live and celebrate peace not war!