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


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

War News for Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Reported security incidents

Hammam al Alil: (?)
#1: A militant was killed when a roadside bomb blew up as he was trying to plant it late on Monday in Hammam al-Alil, 330 km (200 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

A gunman was killed while trying to implant a bomb south of Mosul, security sources said today. No other details were given to Aswat al-Iraq.


Kirkuk:
#1: A sticky bomb attached to a civilian car exploded, wounding the driver and a passenger late on Monday in southern Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.


Mosul:
#1: A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol went off, killing a soldier and wounding two other people including a traffic police officer late on Monday in eastern Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

#2: The Director of Ninewa's Intelligence Operations escaped an assassination attempt by a bomb blast targeted against his convoy south of Mosul city, security sources said today. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that General Ismael al-Jibouri was not hurt, and only material losses were inflicted on his car.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: A soldier was killed and three wounded in a bomb blast west of Anbar province, police sources said today. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that the bomb was directed against border patrol in Km 18 area, west of the province.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Slovak soldiers serving in Afghanistan with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit identified and then disabled explosives installed in a car that enemy forces intended to use during an attack on an allied military base in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. The attack took place on October 27 and lasted several hours.

#2: According to local officials in eastern Afghanistan, Rashidan district police chief was killed along with his two body guards in eastern Ghazni province on Tuesday. Afghan Interior Affairs Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi confirming the incident said, Rashidan district police chief and his two body guards were killed following a roadside bomb explosion on Tuesday. Mr. Sediqi further added, the district police chief and his two bodyguards were killed while they were on a mission, outside of the Rashidan district.

#3: Eleven armed opponents were reportedly killed, two injured and 29 more held alive in separate operations over the past twenty-four hours in the country. An Interior Minister press release, available with the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP), said Tuesday said the Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, National Directorate of Security and coalition troops conducted the operations in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Khost, Paktia and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan over the past twenty-four hours.

#3: Taliban militants attacked a check post in a Pakistani tribal region early Wednesday and killed at least two security men, local media reported. Two other security men were also injured in the attack in Mohmand agency near Afghan border, TV channels reported. Official sources said the militants attacked the check post with rockets and other heavy weapons in Ghalnai area of Mohmand region. The attack sparked exchange of firing between the security forces and the militants for two hours.

#4: At least one man was killed and 12 others were injured in a blast that took place in capital city Peshawar of Northwestern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday, reported local Urdu TV Geo. According to the report, the incident took place at about 12:30 p.m. (local time) when a blast triggered by a remote controlled device targeted the vehicle of a local tribal elder in Hayatabad area of Peshawar. The tribal elder, Malik Taj and 11 others got injured while a passerby lost his life in the blast. Ten cars were also destroyed in the incident.

#5: At least five security personnel were injured in a remote controlled blast in southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan on Wednesday, local media reported. According to local Urdu TV Dunya, the blast took place at about 11:30 a.m. (local time) when a remote controlled explosive device went off near a security forces' vehicle in Turbat area, a town located in southern part of Balochistan province.


DoD: Lt. Col. David E. Cabrera

DoD: Staff Sgt. Christopher R. Newman

DoD: Sgt. James M. Darrough

DoD: Sgt. Carlo F. Eugenio

Posted by whisker at 3:11 AM

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