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


Thursday, December 10, 2009

War News for Thursday, December 10, 2009

MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier of non-combat related injuries in an undisclosed location in Iraq on Thursday, December 10th.

There were no ISAF fatalities in the last 24 hours inAfghanistan


Dec. 8 airpower summary

KBR worker reportedly raped at base in Iraq:

U.S. defense secretary arrives in Baghdad:


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Three civilians were killed and eight others injured in an explosive charge blast in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a security source said on Wednesday. “An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated on a Coaster bus on al-Mahmoudiya road, southern Baghdad, killing three passengers and injuring eight others,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Mosul:
#1: An Iraqi policeman has been wounded when gunmen opened fire on his checkpoint in Mosul, a local security source said on Wednesday. “The checkpoint was set up near the Grand Mosque in downtown Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.“The cop was hit in the right hand and is in a stable condition,” the source noted, providing no further details.

#2: An Iraqi policeman has mistakenly killed a civilian in northern Mosul, according to a local police source. “A shot from the cop’s gun has mistakenly killed a civilian in al-Majmoua al-Thaqafiya area, northern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: One civilian was wounded on Thursday in a bomb explosion in eastern Mosul, according to a security source. “The bomb exploded in al-Intesar neighborhood in eastern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The blast did not target any security patrol,” he added.

#4: Two Iraqi army soldiers were wounded on Thursday when a roadside bomb hit their patrol northern Mosul city.

#5: A senior police officer on Thursday survived an attempt on his life in central Mosul, according to a security source. “An improvised explosive device went off targeting the motorcade of Brigadier Majed al-Bayani, commander of the Mosul police, in al-Saaa region in central Mosul, injuring three of his bodyguards,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The brigadier was not hurt in the attack,” he added.

#6: A roadside bomb detonated near a police checkpoint and wounded two policemen and three civilians in central Mosul, 390 kilometres (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

#7: Police said they found the bullet-ridden corpses of two Christian men in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of the capital.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Ten people have been killed by a US drone attack in northwest Pakistan's tribal region. Officials said the unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at Ladha in South Waziristan Thursday morning.


DoD: Sgt. Elijah J. Rao

Posted by whisker at 4:33 AM

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