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, May 6, 2010

War News for Thursday, May 06, 2010

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier in a small arms fire attack in an unreported area in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, May 5th. We believe this to be an American.


Iraq puts 3 natural gas fields up for bid:

Kuwait Bans Reporting on Alleged Iran Spy Cell:

CIA drones hit wider range of targets in Pakistan: The CIA received approval to target a wider range of targets in Pakistan's tribal areas, including low-level fighters whose identities may not be known, US officials said on Wednesday.

Flash floods kill dozens in Afghanistan: Torrential rain has triggered heavy flooding in northern and western Afghanistan over the past three days, Abdul Mateen Idrak, the head of the National Disaster Management Authority, told AFP.


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Two people were killed and four wounded in a bomb explosion in western Baghdad on Thursday, an Interior Ministry source said. "A roadside bomb went off near the al-Liqaa Sequare in western the capital around midday, destroying a civilian car, killing two people and wounding four," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

#2: Police found the body of Abdul Salam Hassan, a manager in the Ministry of National Security, in his car's trunk on Wednesday in southern Baghdad, police said. He had been handcuffed, blindfolded and shot, police said.


Touz:
#1: Chief of Asayesh (Kurdish for security) forces of Touz district survived an attempt on his life on Wednesday when a bomb exploded targeting his motorcade in central Touz district, according to a media official. “Major Taher Qader Ahmad escaped an attempt on his life when a bomb exploded targeting his motorcade in al-Joumhouriya neighborhood in central Touz district, south of Kirkuk,” Ferhad Hamah Ali told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The explosion wounded one of his bodyguards and two passing civilians,” he added.


Kirkuk:
#1: One policeman and a civilian were wounded in a hand grenade attack in central Kirkuk, a senior police officer said on Thursday. “Unknown gunmen threw a hand grenade on the guards of Kirkuk police chief near al-Shuhadaa tunnel, central Kirkuk, injuring a policeman and civilian,” Colonel Ahmad Shmerani told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The gunmen tried to escape but police forces managed to arrest two of them,” he added.

#2: Anti-explosives experts defused on Thursday a Katyusha rocket in southern Kirkuk, a police officer said. “A police patrol found at 8:00 am on Thursday (May 6) a Katyusha rocket behind al-Nour mosque in southern Kirkuk,” Colonel Ghazi Ali told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Mosul:
#1: One civilian was killed on Wednesday by gunmen in central Mosul, a security source said. “Unknown gunmen stormed a store in al-Kourniesh street, central Mosul, killing his owner,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Director of the joint coordination center in Mosul survived an attempt on his life on Wednesday in eastern Mosul, according to a security source. “A roadside bomb went off on Wednesday afternoon (May 5) targeting the motorcade of director of the joint coordination center in Mosul, Brigadier Abdulaziz al-Juburi, in al-Faisaliya region, eastern Mosul, without leaving casualties,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: Police forces found on Wednesday a decayed body buried in northern Mosul, according to a police source. “The corpse was found in al-Ghabat region in northern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The forensic medicine department’s report asserts that the man was killed as a result of a hit by an iron object to his head,” he added.

#4: A student who had been reported kidnapped in Arbil has been found dead in Mosul, his brother said on Thursday.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: An Iraqi soldier was killed and two others were wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in west of Anbar, a police source said. “The bomb exploded on Wednesday afternoon (May 5) in Akashat region, west of Anbar, targeting an army vehicle patrol, killing a solider and wounding two, as well as damaging the vehicle,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: One woman was wounded on Thursday in a random shooting in central Falluja, a police source said.“A woman, standing in front of her house in central Falluja, was wounded in a random shooting on Thursday (May 6),”

#3: Three civilians were wounded on Thursday in an improvised explosive device blast in western Anbar, according to a police source. “The bomb went off near a water tanker truck in al-Qaem district in western Anbar, wounding three civilians, including the driver,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"


DoD: Sgt. Ralph Mena

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