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


Wednesday, June 23, 2010

War News for Wednesday, June 23, 2010

MNF-Iraq (OIF) is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier from a non-combat related injury in an undisclosed location in Iraq on Monday, June 21st.

NATO is reporting the deaths of two ISAF soldiers in an IED attack in an unidentified location in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, June 21st.

NATO is reporting another death of an ISAF soldier from small arms fire in some unknown province in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, June 21st.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier in an IED strike in an unidentified location in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 23rd.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldiers in an IED attack in an unidentified location in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, June 22nd.

NATO is reporting the death of a second ISAF soldiers in an IED attack in an unidentified location in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, June 22nd.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from small arms fire in some unknown province in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, June 22nd.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier in an "insurgent attack" in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, June 21st.


In Afghanistan, as in Iraq, a New Breed of Commander Stepped In:

General Faces Unease Among His Own Troops, Too:

Afghan police struggle ahead of U.S. pullout:


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: A man and his wife were wounded when a sticky bomb attached to their car went off on Wednesday in western Baghdad. “The blast occurred in al-Yarmook neighborhood, western Baghdad,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Iraqi police forces defused on Wednesday roadside bombs that were planted under power towers in western Baghdad.


Al Touz:
#1: Two policemen were wounded on Tuesday in a bomb explosion in south of Kirkuk, a security source said. “A n explosive charge went off on Tuesday (June 22) targeting a convoy of a former member of the parliament, chief of al-Touz police and director of the Kirkuk emergency police department, injuring two policemen,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Kirkuk:
#1: A senior police officer escaped an attempt on his life on Tuesday when a bomb exploded targeting his motorcade in southwest of Kirkuk, a police officer said. “An explosive charge went off on Tuesday evening (June 22) targeting the motorcade of the director of the police department of al-Multaqa district in southwest of Kirkuk, Colonel Adnan Abdullah,” Brig. Sarhad Qader told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The blast damaged one of the motorcade’s vehicles, and caused no casualties,” he added.


Mosul:
#1: Two women and a man were killed by a sticky bomb explosion in eastern Mosul, a police source said. “A bomb, stuck to a civilian car, exploded in al-Kuweer street in eastern Mosul, killing a man and two women onboard,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Three people from one family were killed and three others of the same family were wounded when a U.S. vehicle ran them over in the northwest of Mosul city. “The incident occurred yesterday evening, on the highway northwest of Mosul city,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency on Wednesday. He noted that the family’s father and mother died in the incident, in addition to their daughter.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Afghan and international troops killed a "large number of insurgents" during an offensive this week, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said on Wednesday.

Foreign fighters and several leaders for both the Haqqani network and the Taliban were among those killed in the operation, in Jani Khel district of Paktiya province, located in eastern Afghanistan near Pakistan. The security force killed a Haqqani network commander from Khost province named Hamiddullah, the military said. He had ties to Haqqani senior leadership based in Pakistan. He was believed to be responsible for an ambush of an Afghan National Army unit that left three Afghan police dead in March. Troops also killed Qari Ismael, a Taliban leader for Jani Khel district, and Maulawi Sadiq, a known facilitator for foreign fighters. Arabs, Uzbeks, Turks and Chechens were among those killed, according to officials and village elders, and troops say they were integrated into the ranks of the Taliban and the Haqqani network. No coalition forces were injured or killed, the military said.

#2: Continuing its offensive in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas' (FATA) Orakzai agency, Pakistani security forces have reportedly killed 43 more Taliban militants in the region. According to reports, extremists attacked security forces in the Sawar Kot area in the Upper Orakzai Agency ensuing in a fierce gunbattle in which 12 soldiers were also injured. Sources said that at least five more terrorists were also killed in separate incidents in the Swat Valley. In a major success for the security forces, a close aide of Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah, Muhammed Ilyas was killed in a gunfight with troops in Gat Papuchar area of Matta tehsil. Three other militant commanders were also killed in clashes with security officials in Miandam area. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from them, The Daily Times reports.

#3: One civilian was killed and seven others injured as a mine planted by militants went off in Helmand province, police said Wednesday. "The device was exploded by remote control in a bazaar of Gereshk district on Tuesday afternoon killing a tribal elder and wounding seven others, all innocent civilians," district police chief Zamai Khan told Xinhua.

#4: Furthermore, the militants in the neighboring Zabul province fired six rockets on the same day Tuesday. "The insurgents fired six rockets in Shahjoi district late last night but fortunately caused no loss of life," spokesman for provincial administration Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar told Xinhua.


MoD: Marine Paul Warren

DoD: Spc. Scott A. Andrews

DoD: Lance Cpl. Timothy G. Serwinowski

DoD: Spc. Jacob P. Dohrenwend

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

News for stalemate
Times LIVE Egypt to let Iran's Gaza-bound ‎ - 5 hours ago

The RIA-Novosti news agency quotes the Egyptian news media as saying that Egypt is not about to ban Iran's Gaza-bound ships with humanitarian aid on board ...
The Voice of Russia - 265 related articles »

Israel to block Iran aid ship to Gaza ‎ - Press TV - 1068 related articles »

Iran to send blockade-busting ship to Gaza‎ - Tampabay.com - 1063 related articles »

This will be interesting.

Cervantes said...

So Stanley Mac is gone and Petraeus is back in the field. Now is an opportunity for BHO to reiterate that we're outta there by 2011 and it's Petraeus's job to make that happen.

Cervantes said...

Commercial spam will be ruthlessly deleted.