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


Friday, June 3, 2011

War News for Friday, June 03, 2011

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in northern Afghanistan on Thursday, May 2nd. This is being reported as a German soldier.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, May 2nd. This is being reported as a Polish soldier.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, May 2nd.


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Two persons were injured today by a sticky bomb in a civilian car to the northeast of Baghdad, security forces announced. The source informed Aswat al-Iraq that the sticky bomb exploded in a pick-up wagon, which resulted in injuring the two people inside it.


Kirkuk:
#1: A U.S. military patrol was attacked today by a hand grenade, security sources said. The source added that there were no casualties or damages reported in the attack.


Mosul:
#1: A roadside bomb exploded near a hospital, wounding four security guards in the city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, local police said.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: The final toll from the four explosions that hit Ramadi city yesterday reached 7 dead and 18 wounded, Anbar security sources said today. The source said to Aswat al-Iraq that among the killed were four security forces. 11 of the wounded are military and police personnel. Four explosions hit the city yesterday, one in the main street no. 17, the second a car-bomb near a governmental complex. The last two explosions were near the Nationality Department and used two explosives. No other details were given.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: A hand grenade attack on a paramilitary post in the northwestern tribal region of Khyber on the Afghan border wounded one soldier and a civilian, a government official said.

#2: Two insurgents were killed when Afghan and NATO-led forces launched a search operation Thursday night in country's Baghlan province 160 km north of capital city of Kabul, the NATO said Friday. "A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed two insurgents and detained several suspected insurgents during a nighttime security operation to search for a Taliban leader in Baghlan-e Jadid district, Baghlan province, yesterday,"said a statement issued by NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) here Friday.

Posted by whisker at 2:55 AM

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