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, April 14, 2011

War News for Thursday, April 14, 2011

The DoD is reporting a new death previously unreported by the military. Pvt. Brandon T. Pickering died at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany on Sunday, April 10th from wounds received by small arms fire and RPG attack in Wardak province, Afghanistan on Friday, April 8th.


Polish president prolongs Afghan mission

New C.I.A. Drone Attack Draws Rebuke From Pakistan


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: A roadside bomb went off near an Iraqi army patrol and wounded three soldiers in Baghdad's west-central Mansour district, an Interior Ministry source said.

#2: Three civilians were wounded on Thursday in an improvised explosive device blast in Baghdad, a security source said. "An explosive charge went off in front of a barber shop in al-Zaafaraniya neighborhood, southeastern Baghdad late Thursday, injuring three civilians and damaging the shop," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: "An improvised explosive device went off in Zeraa Dejla region, northwestern Baghdad, injuring three civilians,

#4: while two more bombs exploded in al-Youssifiya region in southwestern Baghdad, killing two people and wounding 13," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Diyala Prv:
#1: The Mayor of Saadiya city in Diala Province and three of his guards, have been injured in an explosive charge blast on the roadside northeast of Baaquba, the center of the Province, a Diala Police source said on Wednesday. “An explosive charge, planted on the roadside between Saadiya and Jalalwla towns in Khanaqin township, 155 km to the northeast of Baaquba, blew off against the car of Saadiya Mayor, Ahmed al-Zarkoushy, wounding him and three of his guards,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: The media director of the Diala police, Colonel Ghaleb Attiya, escaped on Thursday an attempt on his life by a bomb blast in central Baaquba. "I survived an assassination attempt when a bomb went off in front of my house in al-Tahrir neighborhood, central Baaquba," Colonel Attiya told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. "Three passing civilians were wounded in the explosion," he added.


Mahmudiya:
#1: Two roadside bombs went off in quick succession, killing two people and wounding 13 in the town of Mahmudiya, 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said.


Hilla:
#1: A bombing targeted a US military unit, northern Hilla, a security source said.


Taji:
#1: Three people were wounded by a roadside bomb in the town of Taji, 20 km (12 miles) north of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said.


Kirkuk:
#1: A car bomb killed one person and wounded 16 others, including three policemen, two women and three children, when it went off in southern Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, Kirkuk police operations room said.


Mosul:
#1: A sticky bomb attached to the front door of a house wounded the owner and killed his wife when it went off late on Wednesday in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Pakistani troops and paramilitary forces, backed by helicopter gunships and warplanes, targeted Taliban positions in the tribal region of Mohmand near the Afghan border on Thursday, killing at least 18 militants, a regional government official said. "We are going after them with full force, using every kind of force. They carry out attacks and other activities from there," Masood Khan, the government official, said. He said at least 18 militants were killed and 25 wounded in the fighting. "The operation is still on," he said.

#2: At least three Afghan policemen were killed when suicide bombers attacked a police training centre in the east of the country, officials say. Police said two bombers also died in the raid on the base in Paktia province where dozens of men were being trained. According to police, four men with explosives tied to their bodies tried to enter the police training compound in Paktia and were challenged by security forces. The first attacker blew himself up outside the base, killing three policemen and injuring another three who were guarding the front gate, police said. A heavy exchange of fire followed in which the second attacker was killed. Police said the remaining two attackers managed to escape, the BBC's Bilal Sarwary reports from Kabul.

#3: In the Kabul attack, a truck laden with explosives blew up outside the district governor's office. The attacker was killed and several policemen were injured, officials said.

#4: In the third incident, police killed a suspected militant who was trying to enter a police station in the southern city of Kandahar. Officials said the man was wearing an explosive belt.


DoD: Pvt. Brandon T. Pickering

1 comments:

Dancewater said...

LET FREEDOM RING!

Street protests banned in Baghdad

Iraq has decided to officially ban street protests in the capital Baghdad and limited approved demonstrations sites to three soccer stadiums, a security official said on Wednesday, according to reports.

+++++++

they have free speech "zones" just like the US now!