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, September 1, 2007

Security Incidents for 09/01/07

Photo: A young boy looks as an Iraqi man displays leaflets that were dropped by the U.S. military during an early morning raid in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007. The leaflets read, left: 'The criminal Iraqis who work with the Iranian revolutionary guards (al Quds forces) are toys under Persian control. Iranian revolutionary guards are interfering in Iraq's affairs while Iraqis are dying,' and, right: 'Al Quds forces are using violence to increase Iranian interests and enforce its control on Iraq.' (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim) [Reminds me of the US military campaign to “vilify Zarqawi, leverage xenophobic response”. They bragged about that piece of evil work. It seems to me that the people more likely to be working with Iranian forces are the Badr brigades or DAWA’s forces, rather than Sadr City residents. – dancewater]

BAGHDAD - U.S. forces killed three gunmen and detained five others during operations in central and northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.

BAGHDAD - U.S. forces killed four gunmen and detained 10 others on Friday and Saturday in Baghdad and the northern belts around the city, the U.S. military said.

Baghdad - A civilian was killed and another one injured when a mortar shell hit Zayuna neighborhood.

Baghdad - 4 people were killed in a random fire shooting in Shaab neighborhood north Baghdad around 7,00 pm.

Baghdad - 2 people were wounded when mortar shell hit Mahmoudiyah town south Baghdad today afternoon.

Baghdad - Police found 15 unidentified bodies in Baghdad today. 11 bodies were found in Karkh, the western side of Baghdad in the following neighborhoods (3 bodies in Amil, 2 bodies in Doura, 2 bodies in Bayaa, 2 bodies in Saidiyah, 1 body in Khadhraa and 1 body in Mamoun). 4 bodies were found in Rusafa, the eastern side of Baghdad in the following neighborhood (2 bodies in Sadr city, 1 body in Adhemiyah and 1 body in Palestine Street.)

Baghdad - U.S. forces attack Sadr City, arrests 2 Mahdi Army members

MOSUL - A roadside bomb killed five Iraqi soldiers on patrol in northern Mosul, army Brigadier-General Noor Al-Deen Hussain said.

MOSUL - Police found the body of a member of the judicial council of Mosul in the west of the city, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. He had been shot several times.

MOSUL - One mortar bomb killed a child and wounded a man in central Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, on Friday, police said.

Mosul - 6 wounded in explosive charge blast in western Mosul

Kirkuk -Gunmen riding a fast car opened fire randomly killing 3 people (2 brothers who are farmers) and a member of the Iraqi army. The commander of the districts police said that the incident happened on Hawija – Reyadh street west of Kirkuk yesterday night adding that the gunmen kidnapped a fourth person.

Kirkuk - A civilian was killed by gunmen in Hawija town west Kirkuk yesterday evening.

Kirkuk - 3 civilians were injured by gunmen near Al Tawheed mosque in Al Oroba neighborhood south Kirkuk yesterday evening.

Najaf - The spokesman of the security forces in Najaf city said that the official of the debathification committee had survived from an assassination attempt by an IED which was planted near his house in Al Ghadeer neighborhood downtown Najaf city yesterday evening.

Najaf -Gunmen killed a café owner downtown Najaf city yesterday afternoon.

Najaf - police found an unidentified body in Al Forat neighborhood downtown yesterday afternoon.

Muqdadiya - 40 gunmen arrested in operation near Muqdadiya

Basra - The spokesman of Basra province police Abdel Kareem Al Zobaidi said that gunmen killed the representative of Grand Ayat Allah Ali Al Sistani. Al Zobaidi said that gunmen killed Sayed Salim Al Battat, the Imam of Al Orwa mosque in Al Fersi neighborhood downtown Basra city south Iraq at 9,00 pm yesterday evening.

Babel - 29 arrested in 2 security operations in Babel

Saqlawiya - A U.S. Marine was killed and a Hummer vehicle destroyed on Saturday when an explosive charge went off near a U.S. patrol in al-Saqlawiya, 8 km north of Falluja, police said. Four more Marines were wounded.

Baaquba - Shiite shrine in Baaquba blown up for third time.

HAWIJA - Gunmen killed one man when they opened fire on a market in central Hawija, 70 km (43 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, on Friday, police said.

Posted by Dancewater at 12:03 PM

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