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, September 30, 2010

War News for Thursday, September 30, 2010

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, September 29th.


Army's largest base reeling from four apparent suicides in one weekend

Pakistan cuts NATO supply line after border firing

Marine combat cameraman from Camp Pendleton killed in Afghanistan


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: At least two officers were killed and three civilians were wounded when police and gunmen traded fire in Baghdad on Thursday after an apparent bank robbery attempt, Iraqi Interior Ministry officials said. The officials said the gunmen tried to storm into the state-owned al-Rafidain bank in the Bayaa neighborhood of southwestern Baghdad just before noon. Gunmen detonated four bombs outside the bank to distract Iraqi security forces. Later, clashes erupted between the attackers and Iraqis security forces for 30 minutes. Iraqi security forces arrested two people and they sealed off the entire neighborhood searching for other attackers.

#2: Two rockets hit the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, a source from the U.S. embassy said on Wednesday, noting that the region has been witnessing tight security measures since the morning. “The two rockets hit the GZ this afternoon (Sept. 29), with no reports on damage,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Samarra:
#1: Four policemen were seriously wounded in two thermal bombs explosions in central Samarra, a source from the Samarra Operations Command said on Wednesday. “Gunmen threw 2 thermal hand grenades on police forces in al-Shurta neighborhood in central Samarra, injuring four policemen,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Mosul:
#1: Security forces defused on Wednesday a car bomb in southern Mosul, according to a police source. “A force from the 3rd division of the federal police managed today (Sept. 29) to defuse a car crammed with explosives in Dourat Baghdad region, southern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: An Iraqi soldier was wounded on Wednesday by a hand grenade in western Mosul, a police source said. “Unknown gunmen threw a hand grenade on Wednesday evening (Sept. 29) on an army checkpoint in al-Islah al-Zeraie region, western Mosul, injuring an Iraqi soldier,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: An explosive charge went off Thursday in front of the Faculty of Medicine in Mosul, without leaving casualties, a police source said. “The bomb exploded in front of the Faculty of Medicine in western Mosul, without causing casualties,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The bomb went off spontaneously without targeting any security patrols,” he added.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: Four civilians were wounded Wednesday in a double explosion in northern Falluja, a police source said. “A bomb contains amount of TNT and C4 went off on Wednesday (Sept. 29) near a police house in al-Saqlawiya district, northern Falluja, causing material damage to the house,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A local-made bomb exploded five minutes after the first explosion, injuring four civilians,” the source explained. “Police forces foiled a third explosion in the same place,” he added.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: A suicide attack on a NATO convoy killed three civilians and wounded nine others Thursday near the airport in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, a local official said. The suicide attacker detonated explosives while in his vehicle, causing the casualties, said Zulmai Ayubi, a spokesman for the Kandahar governor. He did not have further details.

#2: At least three security personnel were killed as NATO helicopters struck at a check post in northwest Pakistan's tribal area on Thursday morning, reported local media Express. Express quoted security sources as saying that NATO helicopters crossed into Kurram tribal region from Afghanistan and hit a Pakistani border post.

#3: Afghan troops killed four insurgents during an operation in Kandahar, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

#4: Three Afghan soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb in southern Uruzgan province, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

#5: Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces killed three insurgents during a clearing operation aimed at disrupting the Taliban's freedom of movement in northern Kunduz province on Wednesday, the U.S. military said.


DoD: Lance Cpl. Ralph J. Fabbri

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