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, April 30, 2011

War News for Saturday, April 30, 2011

MNF-Iraq (OND) is reporting the death of a U.S. service from a non-hostile incident in an undisclosed location in southern Iraq on Wednesday, April 27th.

Xinhuanet news is reporting the death of a U.S. soldier during "operations" in an undisclosed location in southern Iraq on Friday. April 29th.


Taliban Declares Start Of Spring Offensive In Afghanistan

Afghanistan War Report Cites Progress by Troops

Karzai considers military draft in Afghanistan instead of all-volunteer army


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: “Three IEDs targeted an Iraqi federal police convoy in the village of al-Janabat, al-Zaafaraniya area, southeast of Baghdad, leaving three dead, a police officer and two civilians, and wounding 28 others, including eight policemen,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Earlier, the source told Aswat al-Iraq that 12 persons, including four policemen, were wounded in blasts from three IEDs that went off near a convoy of police vehicles in al-Janabat.


Diyala Prv:
#1: In Baquba, a source in Diyala region police said that 5 people from the same family were killed and wounded when a clay house collapsed east of Baquba.


Diwaniya:
#1: Diwaniah police found the body of an unknown man who died burnt in a deserted region north of the city.


Taji:
#1: A judge was killed and members of his family wounded after his house situated in Taji Region North of Baghdad was bombed with a number of explosives. A security source told Alsumarianews that unknown armed men wearing military uniforms attacked many houses form members of the awakening councils in a village situated in Taji region north of Baghdad. The attacks killed one of the armed-men who was wearing a major’s costume and wounded two of awakening council members.

#2: The same source said that an employee in the Ministry of Industry & Minerals has been killed, together with his daughter, by a group of unknown gunmen, who broke into his house in Qadiriya village north of Baghdad’s Taji district.


Kirkuk:
#1: “Unidentified gunmen opened fire from a vehicle on a man in al-Quds street, near al-Hadja Sabriya Mosque, central Kirkuk, leaving him wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Meanwhile, an Iraqi army patrol dismantled an IED on the main road near the village of Shemeit, al-Zab district, (85 km) southwest of Kirkuk before detonating it without incident.


Mosul:
#1: A tribal notable was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near a federal police checkpoint in western Mosul city on Friday, a local security source in Ninewa said. “Gunmen opened fire Sheikh Mutashar al-Okaydi on a main street in the area of al-Mosul al-Jadida (New Mosul) in the western part of the city, just 10 meters away from a federal police checkpoint, killing him instantly,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: NATO oil tanker used to transport oil to NATO forces caught fire after explosion whereas no loss of life reported here in Peshawar on Saturday. The NATO oil tanker caught fire and exploded. The flame engulfed and destroyed trucks that were parked nearby. Sugar worth millions of rupees was burnt to ashes incident. The crew of the oil tanker was not present at the time of the accident. The oil tanker on its way to Afghanistan via Tourkham exploded near the Karkhano market area. According to eye witnesses, the oil tanker was stationary due to a technical problem when it suddenly caught fire at 4:30am on Saturday. The police declared the incident was not due to a terrorist activity.

#2: A passenger van struck a landmine in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of Kurram on Saturday, killing two people and wounding six, local official Mowaz Khan said.

#3: Hours before, suspected militants attacked three vehicles and kidnapped eight people in another area of Kurram on the Afghan border, where troops are fighting Pakistani Taliban for years, security officials said


DoD: Spc. Andrew E. Lara

DoD: Maj. Philip D. Ambard

DoD: Maj. Jeffrey O. Ausborn

DoD: Maj. David L. Brodeur

DoD: Master Sgt. Tara R. Brown

DoD: Lt. Col. Frank D. Bryant Jr.

DoD: Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II

DoD: Capt. Nathan J. Nylander

DoD: Capt. Charles A. Ransom

DoD: Lance Cpl. Ronald D. Freeman

DoD: Sgt. Matthew D. Hermanson

DoD: Pfc. Jonathan M. Villanueva

Posted by whisker at 3:15 AM

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