The space shuttle COLUMBIA disintegrated some 40 miles in the Texas sky travelling back to base at about 18 times the speed of light. It reached the ground as debris. All 7 astronaut - passengers and crew were killed. That was February 1, 2003.

    A Florida family man, teacher and mourner, interviewed by CNN said that the USA should invite an Iraqi scientist to space as a gesture of peace and goodwill. That was clearly his way of opining that the Bush/Blair warhawks should advisedly be waging peace, NOT WAR. That decent man is in great company: many nations, groups and millions of people comprising the overwhelming majority of earth's inhabitants have been saying likewise. Today, we hereby sample some of those.

1. CLAIRE SHORT, a British Minister of Government said, Prime Minister Blair should "rein in" President Bush, and wait. (BBC. January 12, 2003). The significance of the word "rein" will not be missed by the majority of Blair's supporters who do not support his war with Iraq. Many of them believe that it is Bush who rides Blair in the wrong direction.
2. Senator CARL LEVIN of Michigan told CNN's Lou Dobbs, 28/1/03, that there are threats in the world. "But there were always threats," he said. The Soviet Union was a threat, but they were persuadable." Incidentally, it should not be lost on us that the USA never declared war on the Soviet Union; because the Soviets could and would HIT BACK. America knows Iraq cannot defend itself. This is the way of the bully.
3. DAVID GERGEN, a former White House adviser, now of U.S. News and World Report, said on January 28, 2003, President Bush "should give Iraq a time to come clean which he has not …" (CNN, Lou Dobbs).
4. PETER GALBRAITH, former ambassador to Croatia, told CNN World Report, February 2, 2003, "President Bush should stop his fraternity rhetoric … and … his cowboy rhetoric."
5. Celebrated actor GREGORY PECK, and another, paid for an advertisement in the USA media: "WHAT DID IRAQ DO TO THE UNITED STATES? … THE ANSWER IS 'NOTHING.'"
6. GARETH EVANS, a former Minister of Government in Australia said that the United States and Britain should choose to "put up persuasive evidence" why they should attack Iraq, or persist in "messy ambiguity."
7. The charitable NGO, OXFAM, is against the war. Among its reasons: 130 die of every 1000 children born in Iraq. Some 16 million people are already on food ration.
8. United States DOCTORS AND NURSES AGAINST THE WAR wrote President Bush: "We know how much you hate maths … But 200,000 people killed in Iraq is 70 times more than those killed at the World Trade Center."
9. President George Bush the First once said publicly that he always hated broccoli, but his mother made him eat it. AN UNKNOWN PROTESTER in a recent demonstration in Washington D.C. declared that if Iraq's main export was broccoli, there would be no war. This is not intended to be funny. It is now clear that Bush and Blair are not concerned about the number of people they murder. They are doing it for oil. So, the demonstrators in Washington marched to a different (anti-) war drum: "STOP THE U.S. WAR MACHINE … FROM KOREA, TO IRAQ, TO THE PHILIPPINES."
10. Former U.S. Presidential candidate PAT BUCHANAN is no liberal and is more conservative than Bush in many ways. Nonetheless he told FOX NEWS he is totally against the war: "I DON'T KNOW THAT NORTH KOREA or IRAQ THREATENS AMERICA. AL QUEDA DOES … THE GUY DOES NOT THREATEN US …"
11. From CNN Headline News Ticker came this prιcis: "CHIRAC TO BUSH … RESIST TEMPTATION OF UNILATERAL ACTION!"
12. On January 7, 2003, IAEA's Mohammed Elbaradi reported, "No evidence Iraq has lied in its declaration … so far, inspectors have found nothing suspicious." Later, when they reported that there were some old undeclared items, they also admitted "there was no smoking gun."
13. January 19, 2003 BBC reported that 62% of CANADIANS did not want their armed forces to take part in the war outside the direction of the U.N. Prime Minister Chretien said, "Inspectors must get sufficient time to do their job in Iraq. Canada will not join the USA in war unless it is supported by the U.N."
14. January 13, 2003, HIS HOLINESS THE POPE declared against the war on Iraq.
15. That same day, the celebrated CHERYL CROW reportedly declared, "WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER," as she received another coveted award.
16. January 14, 2003, CNN anchor WOLF BLITZER asked: "Should Bush go to war now, or give the inspectors more time?" Of those who chose to respond, 71% said that the inspectors should be given the year they require.
17. January 18, 2003, a Georgetown University demonstrator was poignant in this comment: 'IRAQI CHILDREN ARE NOT TERRORISTS."
18. Retired Rear Admiral EUGENE CARROL said on January 20, 2003: "Why are we bent on precipitating a crisis? They are basically ignoring the inspection process, even after President Bush went to the U.N., and demanded it."
19. A BBC correspondent broadcast on January 24, 2003: "PRESIDENT BUSH'S MUCH VAUNTED INTERNATIONAL COALITION IS ESSENTIALLY A CLUB OF TWO."
20. Former U.S. President JIMMY CARTER said recently: "Baghdad is NOT a threat to the United States … The greatest threat to world peace is the Israeli - Palestinian problem."
21. PEW RESEARCH, respected USA pollsters found 19 of 27 countries surveyed showed resentment to United States policy. Those included closest USA (Arab) allies in the Middle East. (December 28, 2002).
22. The newly elected leadership of Turkey dared mention the possibility of a referendum to determine what support there was for war on Iraq and whether the USA should be permitted to use bases in Turkey. BBC reported (December, 2002) that such a referendum would result in an overwhelming "No," to war and use of Turkish bases.
23. On February 2, 2003, an international group of women including Americans took to the streets in Baghdad in protest - against the war. That was filmed and shown by BBC.
24. From all reports, majorities in Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany, France, Russia, China, Koreas North/South, and so many places else - arguably even in the USA and UK - are anti-war.
25. SCOTT RITTER former U.N. weapon's inspector said on November 12. 2002: "Iraq does not pose a threat to the United States worthy of war. There's nothing that the president of the United States has put forward that would justify the loss of a single American life." In the opinion of many, his statement is still valid today.
26. HARRY BELAFONTE said, 16 October 2002: "Stop bullying the world."
27. AL SHARPTON said November 12, 2002: "When you see 200,000 people marching in Washington, 400,000 in Europe, you are seeing an anti-war movement like you have not seen since Viet Nam. People around the world are trying to say they don't see the eminent danger … People have a right to raise questions before we start shedding blood."