March 19 - Remember the day?

On this day in 2003, President George W. Bush ordered the start of war against Iraq. (Because of the time difference, it was early March 20 in Iraq.)

Six years and hundreds of thousands of military and civilian deaths and $600 billion later, an end to this "most disastrous, misguided and dangerous military actions in our history" may be near. Obama has said, "We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in." and lets hope we (both the US and Iraq) can put this war behind us soon.

  

Although, I should add -- using a quote from a Founding Father (Thomas Jefferson) that this this op-ed uses --- Even the most successful war "seldom pays for its losses."

And though one may argue if this has been a successful one (re-writing history is well in progress!), one has got to agree that the losses have been many! And the costs (emotionaland $-wise - 1, 2, 3) staggering!

But the past administration would rather us not ponder over these issues and even after they have left office would like to take this occasion to deflect the truth and indulge in the same fear-mongering and sabre-rattling that got us into this mess in the first place even as they gloat in a strange sense of accomplishment!

 

Anyways, instead of further partisan finger-pointing, lets take this occasion to remember the casualties (1, 2, 3) of this war - the thousands of American and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives lost and affected in this mis-adventure. One can only send wishes of hope, peace and goodwill to their families.