Oh nice topic, and yes Astrology hasn't really been discussed in this forum yet, apart from charts that is!

There are some major things occurring as far as Planetary alignments and transits are concerned. It's not just Mars that has influence on the present, well actually that's a redundant statement, seeing as all Planetary and Star systems have continual effect on the world.
Just to look into some other interesting facts, Pluto, the planet of Death and Rebirth and also Destruction, has been in the sign Sagittarius since 1995. Sagittarius represents religion, spirituality, philosophy, higher education, sports, airlines (specifically foreign travel), causing a Plutonian affect on all these issues. Also a very interesting thing is that the U.S. Horoscope (Sibley chart) was experiencing a transit from Pluto to its Ascendant for the entire year 2001 right up to and through September 11th and on into 2002. These things are undergoing a global transformation through the influence of Pluto, but since 2001 it's not been a very gentle transformation, with Saturn opposing Pluto since August 2001, this opposition pushes or catalyzes Plutonian energy. Saturn is the Planet of Karma, duty, slow progress, rigidity, caution, and fear so for these two energies to blend through this positioning can needless to say cause for serious issues to come forth. Saturn is a very unforgiving Planet and Pluto basically always purges what has been veiled. The combination of these two planets can have such erratic effects. Saturn likes tradition and strict rules; Pluto contributes to the death of old cycles for them to be reborn into something new.
~Pluto's major themes are: transformation (death and rebirth - but too many forget there is a wonderful rebirth after the death or loss); separation, release, cleansing, purification, intensity, power, healing and darkness.
In January Saturn and Pluto edged closer to opposition, tensions began to mount considerably throughout the world. "With Saturn so emphasized astrologically, daily life and obligations can quickly turn into world weariness and adversity, a healthy caution and skepticism can turn into puritanical inflexibility, and mature reserve can calcify into steely stoicism."
Interesting to note as well is the fact that in January Neptune was opposite Jupiter. Jupiter is certainly the planet of expansion and humanitarianism, philosophical and yet spiritual matters, as is Neptune. Jupiter once ruled both Sagittarius and Pisces, until they discovered Neptune. So Piscean and Sagittarian traits concerning Spirituality are similar because of their once shared ruling planet.
Anyway, this combination of Neptune and Jupiter would have contributed to the plea and protest for peace, which happened throughout January, this Jupiter-Neptune combination would encourage the strength of faith and the desire for peace and harmony and these are the best attributes of this combination.

"As far back as the turn of the millennium, astrologers have looked to this month's pivotal alignment involving Mars, Pluto, and Saturn as an ominous cosmic signature foreboding a climax of world events and strife between nations."

"Two questions must be asked from an astrological perspective: Why is the United States so myopically focused on war and why the increasing wave of peaceful alternatives inside and outside of the U.S.? The Saturn-Pluto alignment—the alignment that has dominated world events for the last two years—is quickly aligning right over the placement of Mars in the United States' birth chart. With the U.S. Mars at 22' Gemini and with Saturn and Pluto forming an increasingly tight alignment with the placement, an almost obsessive-compulsive need for dominance and aggression can be the result."