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, August 5, 2011

War News for Friday, August 05, 2011

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Friday, July 5th.


Asia Times: US drags its feet in Iraq

Floods in northeastern Afghanistan kill at least 6

Trainers plan long stay in Afghanistan:

A secret war in 120 countries


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Security sources announced today that a civilian was killed and two wounded in a bomb blast west of the capital, Baghdad. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that the bomb was implanted on the side of the road in Amiriyah area, west Baghdad, which led to the casualties.

#2: Security sources said here today that a gunman was killed, one officer and a soldier were wounded in clashes between the Iraqi army and gunmen west of the capital, Baghdad. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that the clashes took place in Ghazali street, west Baghdad, which resulted in killing a gunman and wounding two military personnel.

#3: Security sources announced today that two persons were gravely wounded in sticky bomb explosion west of Baghdad. The source added to Aswat al-Iraq that the explosion took place in Amiriyah quarter.

#4: A sniper attacked a police checkpoint and killed a policeman in the Zayouna district of eastern Baghdad, an interior ministry source said.


Tikrit:
#1: A young boy and a cop were killed in a joint Iraqi-US aerial landing south of Tikrit village, sources said here today. The father of the boy was injured in the raid. Abdulla al-Mujama'i , relative, told Aswat al-Iraq that a joint Iraqi-US aerial landing operation was made on Khidhr village, 60 km south Tikrit. The deceased cop was the neighbor who went outside to check the situation, who was shot immediately, the source added.

The U.S. forces in Iraq killed a child and a policeman in a raid carried out Friday morning in Salahuddin province, a local police source said.


Mosul:
#1: A parked car bomb targeting an Iraqi police patrol killed a 6-year old child and wounded another 12 people, including six policemen, when it went off in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, a police source from Nineveh police operations room said.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: Four persons, including two cops, were injured in grenade blast mid of Fallouja, police sources announced today. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that an armed group hurled a grenade on police patrol standing on one of the main roads mid of the city, which led to injuring two civilians and two cops.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Afghan and ISAF troops killed one insurgent and another suspected insurgent in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province, just south of Kabul, on Thursday, ISAF said.

#2: Coalition air strikes killed "numerous" insurgents in the Sayad district of northern Sar-e Pol province on Thursday, ISAF said

Posted by whisker at 3:43 AM

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