The present-day U.S. military qualifies by any measure as highly professional, much more so than its Cold War predecessor. Yet the purpose of today’s professionals is not to preserve peace but to fight unending wars in distant places. Intoxicated by a post-Cold War belief in its own omnipotence, the United States allowed itself to be drawn into a long series of armed conflicts, almost all of them yielding unintended consequences and imposing greater than anticipated costs. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. forces have destroyed many targets and killed many people. Only rarely, however, have they succeeded in accomplishing their assigned political purposes. . . . [F]rom our present vantage point, it becomes apparent that the “Revolution of ‘89” did not initiate a new era of history. At most, the events of that year fostered various unhelpful illusions that impeded our capacity to recognize and respond to the forces of change that actually matter.

Andrew Bacevich


Saturday, April 7, 2007

Security Incidents for 04/07/07

PHOTO: Iraqis shout slogans as they carry framed pictures of their killed relatives during a protest in Baghdad's Abushir neighbourhood. Around 200 residents of the neighbourhood protested against the repetitive mortar attacks targeting them, as they urged the Iraqi government to take the proper measures in order to stop these attacks. (AFP/Wisam Sami)

There will be a large protest on April 9th – called by Sadr. - dancewater

Baghdad: One MND-B Soldier died and three others were wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated in a western section of the Iraqi capital April 6

Baghdad: While conducting a combat security patrol, one MND-B Soldier died and four others were wounded when an explosively-formed projectile detonated in an eastern section of the Iraqi capital April 6.

Baghdad: A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi police patrol in eastern Baghdad killed one policeman and wounded two, police said.

Baghdad: Gunmen killed Muhannad Ibrahim, a public works engineer, in front of his home on Friday in southern Baghdad's Saidiya district, police said.

Baghdad: A roadside bomb wounded two civilians when it exploded in the mainly Shi'ite Bayaa district of southern Baghdad, police said.

Baghdad: A roadside bomb wounded 3 civilians including a woman when it exploded in Al-Rewad Crossroads in al-Mansour district, west of Baghdad, police said.

Baghdad: Separately, fierce clashes broke out between Iraqi soldiers and insurgents in the Sunni neighborhood of Fadhel in downtown Baghdad, the source said without providing details about casualties as the troops sealed off the area.

Baghdad: U.S. and Iraqi troops raided a house belonging to a Sunni political party in Baghdad and seized a large number of weapons, including bomb-making equipment and rockets, the U.S. military said on Saturday. Sources in the Sunni Accordance Front said it belonged to Khalaf Alian, a leading member of the political bloc.

Baghdad: A car bomb exploded, killing one person and wounding five in Baghdad's Shi'ite Sadr City.

Baghdad: - Iraqi security forces killed a gunman and arrested 82 suspected militants in several areas in Baghdad, during the past 48 hours, under the Baghdad law-imposing plan, the Baghdad operations command said.

Baghdad: - The Iraqi army's 1st Brigade killed a leading member of al-Qaeda Organization in Iraq, Abu Baraa al-Libi, the official TV al-Iraqiya quoted a security official as saying.

Baghdad: - At least an Iraqi soldier was killed and five others wounded on Saturday in suicide bombing in the Shiite Sadr city, eastern Baghdad, a police source said.

Baghdad: - Around 1pm, a mortar shelling hit Zaafraniya neighborhood injuring two civilians. - Around 1.30 pm, a mortar shelling hit Al-Dhamiya neighborhood without casualties. - Around 3.30 pm, a roadside bomb exploded in Rashdiya neighborhood without casualties. - Around 4.30 pm, a mortar shelling hit Bayaa neighborhood injuring three civilians. - Around 5 pm, a mortar shelling hit Amil neighborhood injuring two civilians. - Around 5.20, a woman was killed by a sniper in Swayb in Shurta Al-Khamsa (west Baghdad). - Around 6 pm, a car bomb parked in Hamza square exploded near Jula Nar restaurant, killing one civilian and injuring 5.

Baghdad: - 12 corpses were found, all of them in Kharkh, or Baghdad west of the Tigris river: 2 in Mansour, 2 in Amil, 2 in Bayaa, 2 in Saydiya, 2 in Khadraa, 1 in Ilaam, 1 in Taji.

Diyala Prv: Unidentified gunmen fired several mortar shells at an Iraqi forces headquarters in the district of Habhab, Diala province, eyewitnesses said

Diyala Prv: Police in the town of Baquba, north of Baghdad, said they found nine bodies with gunshot wounds and showing signs of torture. They said another 18 had been spotted in a river running through the town. It was unclear if the victims were from a mass kidnapping.

Baquba: - The body of a mosque imam was found in a northern suburb of Baquba, about 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. The imam had been kidnapped two days ago.

Diala: - Bodies of two Sunni clerics who were kidnapped earlier were found in Baaquba city, a security source said on Saturday.

Diala: - U.S. warplanes raided two villages in central Iraq on Saturday after clashes erupted between both villages following the killing of three policemen there, local residents said.

Diyala: -Around mid-day, 4 wanted men were in custody of the multinational forces after a raid that uncovered a weapons cahce and neutralized a car bomb. The raid began Friday noon and was still ongoing Saturday in Balour, Aali, Al-Jazeera and Hay Al-Mualmeen neighborhoods in Muqdadiya district north east of Baqouba. -Around 10 am, armed groups rushed into Kinaan market place in Baqouba, forcing 21 shop owners to leave their shops and burned them under gun threat. Damages were a million Iraqi dinars. -Late this afternoon, two civilians were injured as gunmen opened fire with machineguns on the governorate building which is protected by security patrols. - At dawn, terrorists burned dozens of date and fruit orchards in Ulbiat (about 100 acres). The men came from Abu Tamr district in Khalis (20 km north of Baquba). -- 11 mortar rounds fell on downtown Baqouba causing some damages to the buildings in the area. The area was shelled Friday afternoon and evening too.

Diwaniya: (update) US forces launched an air strike in Diwaniya as US and Iraqi troops seeking to return the volatile Iraqi city to government control fought sporadic gun battles with Shi'ite militiamen. A local hospital source and a resident said six people, including two children and a woman were killed in the missile strike on a home in the centre of the city.

Diwaniya: An Iraqi military source in Diwaniya said the fighting was concentrated in five central districts and gunmen were fighting back with roadside bombs and RPGs in hit-and-run attacks. The US military had no immediate comment. Three gunmen were killed in clashes, the US military said. US and Iraqi forces had suffered several casualties but no fatalities.

Diwaniya: But on Saturday, al-Sadr's office in Diwaniyah suggested the fighting was not one-sided and claimed gunmen destroyed three American vehicles and seized a robot used to explode roadside bombs. U.S. officials could not confirm that claim.

Diwaniya: U.S. and Iraqi troops fought gunmen for a second day in Diwaniya. A source at the local hospital said it had received a total of 13 bodies and 41 wounded in the past 48 hours. This included six people killed in a missile strike on a home in the city centre. The U.S. military said only one person had been killed when a warplane fired on gunmen carrying rocket -propelled grenade launchers.

Diawaniya: – Clashes between gunmen and a joint Iraqi-U.S. force wounded six soldiers of the Iraqi army 8th Brigade, the brigade commander said on Saturday.

Diwaniya: - Clashes are still going on in the city of Diwaniya under a new joint operation called Black Eagle. Many leaders and foot soldiers of the Mahdi army have left the city. 15 were killed (including two Mahdi militants) and 32 injured during the fighting throughout the day. Two houses were also destroyed in Al-Jamhouriya and Askri neighborhoods. A spokesman at the Sadr office accused the U.S. military of human rights abuses in the battle as they weeded out gunmen. A police source said that American reinforcements had reached the city and were positioned outside. An American squad entered the downtown of the city and were using a robot to neutralize bombs on the roads.

Suwayra: Insurgents killed an Iraqi soldier and wounded six others when they attacked an Iraqi army base on Friday evening near Suwayra, just south of Baghdad, police said.

Numaniya: Police retrieved two bodies from a small river near the town of Numaniya, 120 km (72 miles) south of Baghdad, on Friday, police said. The men were dressed in civilian clothing and had numerous gunshot wounds to their bodies

Basra: Two British soldiers were wounded in a blast in southern Iraq, the spokeswoman for the Multi-National Forces in southern Iraq said on Saturday. "An explosive charge went off near a British vehicle patrol over night in north of al-Hussein area, 8 km west of Basra wounding two British soldiers," Captain Katie Brown told the independent news agency (VOI) by telephone.

Basra: A child was killed when he trod on a landmine while another child was freed from his kidnappers in western Basra, a police source said.

Himreem: North of Baghdad, gunmen staged the latest in a string of mass kidnappings, seizing 10 people travelling in a minibus near Himreen, 100km south of Kirkuk, police said.

Annah: In other violence, a roadside bomb exploded next to a joint American-Iraqi army patrol early Saturday on a highway leading into Annah, 175 miles northwest of Baghdad. Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and two were wounded, the Iraqi military said.

Hilla: Four civilians from one family were wounded when an explosive charge went off in a farm, while the body of a civilian was found near a police station, Babel police said.

Samarra: A suicide bomber targeting an Iraqi army checkpoint killed five Iraqi soldiers in Samarra, 100 km (62 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

Samarra - Five policemen were killed when a suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into a checkpoint in eastern Samarra while an explosive charge wounded three others in the northern part, a Samarra police source said. [Same as above? Or another incident? Who knows….. – dancewater]

Salah ad Din: Around 2.45 pm, a car bomb parked near Samarra's old petrol station exploded as an Iraqi commandos patrol passed by, killing 6 members of the squad. - Around 6.30 pm , four policemen injured when gunmen fired on the headquarters of the Tikrit traffic police. - Around 7pm , one engineer and two technicians were found dead after they were kidnapped by gunmen on the way of Suleiman Bek south of Tuz (northeast of Tikrit).

Kirkuk: An armed group detonated an explosive charge near a store selling liquor in central Kirkuk, causing severe damage to the store and nearby ones, an official source in Kirkuk police said

Kirkuk: - Before Friday noon a roadside bomb hit an Iraqi police patrol on the road of Hawija-Ranja (south west Kirkuk). one policeman was killed and three injured with the vehicle destroyed. - Last night, one of Daquk (40 km south of Kirkuk) court judges was killed in mysterious conditions near Qara Taba village in Diyala. -- Last night, a roadside bomb exploded in front of one the liquor's shops on the Baghdad-Kirkuk highway, damaging several shops in the area. -- Around 10 pm of Friday night, gunmen attacked a house in Domiz using a grenade, damaging the house only. -Saturday evening, 7 terrorists (including three princes) were killed, 8 wounded and two arrested after fighting between terrorists and a joint U.S.-Iraqi force. The joint force arrived after a call of help from the residents of Dojma village who saw two policemen killed on the way to their village.

Mosul: Six car bombs and 42 explosive charges took place in this northwestern Baghdad city, a security official said.

Karbala- Bodies of six herdsmen who were kidnapped two days ago were found in west of Karbala, a security source said on Saturday.

Kut – Three stores were destroyed and a man wounded when an explosive charge ripped through the markets area in the city of Kut, a security source in Wassit province said.

Muqdadiya – Four gunmen were arrested in a wide-scale security operation by a joint Iraqi-U.S. force, a security source in Muqdadiya district, Diala province, said.

Al Anbar Prv: Police in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, reported finding four bodies in the center of the city. The corpses showed signs of torture and had been shot in the head.

Al Anbar Prv: A U.S. Hummer vehicle was destroyed when an explosive device went off near it at the main entrance to al-Kubeisa in the mostly Sunni province of al-Anbar, western Iraq, an eyewitness said on Saturday. "The device, planted by unidentified gunmen, went off at 10:00 p.m. on Friday near a U.S. patrol, destroying a Hummer," the witness, who is from a neighborhood near Kubeisa, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). No information was available on whether there were casualties but the witness said he saw a helicopter moving injured soldiers from the area. Kubeisa, a district of Hit

RAMADI - The death toll from a chlorine truck bomb attack on a police checkpoint in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi on Friday rose to 12 civilians, the U.S. military said. The blast wounded 43, including eight women and five children.

Also: The DoD has announced a new death, one not previously reported by CENTCOM. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph C. Schwedler, 27, of Crystal Falls, Michigan, was killed in enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Friday, April 6th. He was a member of Navy SEAL Team Four.

Thanks to whisker for most of the links above.

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