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


Monday, May 7, 2012

War News for Monday, May 07, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED blast in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, May 6th. This is an update to the release of three ISAF soldiers killed.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from small arms fire/gunshot wounds from an ANA soldier in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, May 6th. News reports that another soldier was wounded in the attack.


Afghan flood kills 27 people at wedding, hundreds missing

Yemeni officials: Al-Qaida fighters kill 20 troops

US secretly released prisoners in Afghanistan: Report

Afghan consulate deemed unsafe   


Reported security incidents
#1: The Pakistani army says militants have ambushed a security checkpoint in a region close to the border with Afghanistan, killing nine soldiers. The army says the attack took place Sunday in Miran Shah town in North Waziristan, a militant sanctuary frequently targeted by American drones.

The Taliban beheaded two security personnel and hung their heads on wooden poles on Monday in North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan, where nine soldiers were killed in a clash with the militants. A Pakistani Taliban commander claimed the militants captured the two security personnel last night while troops were conducting a raid in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency. The raid was conducted after nine soldiers and at least three militants were killed in a clash near Miranshah. The clash erupted after militants ambushed a security forces convoy in the area.

#2: Four Taliban militants have been killed after hours of gunfight with Afghan police forces in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktia, Press TV reports. The incident occurred when a group of Taliban militants armed with weapons targeted a number of governmental buildings in the city of Sharan, the provincial capital of Paktika on Sunday night, Paktia governor Mohebollah Samim said. The militants seized a building at 7:00 p.m, and from there targeted Pakita governor office, police center and the intelligence office. The fighting ended early Monday after all Taliban fighters were killed in the gun battle. A civilian was also injured in the violence.

#3: In a separate incident, a least one driver was killed and three other people injured when Taliban attacked a line of trucks carrying goods for NATO-led force in northern Baghlan province at early Sunday morning, a provincial security official who declined to be named said. Three vehicles were also damaged after Taliban fired rocket propelled grenade on the convoy along a highway in Dushi District in the province 160 km north of Kabul, he said.

#4: Six civilians were killed as aircrafts of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) targeted a suspected hideout of Taliban militants in Sangin district of Helmand province, 555 km south of Afghan capital Kabul on Friday, a statement of Helmand provincial administration released on Monday said. "Taliban militants opened fire on the checkpoints of Civil Order Police and ISAF on Friday and in retaliation the NATO-led ISAF aircrafts carried out air raids against the suspected hideout of the insurgents but unfortunately six innocent civilians were martyred," the statement added. The victims, according to the statement, include two boys, three girls and a woman, all from same family. ISAF has also confirmed the incident and apologized for the mistake, promising to help with the remaining members of the ill- fated family.

#5: At least four Taliban militants were killed Sunday in a clash in the western Afghan province of Farah, authorities said. "A group of armed militants launched an attack in the wee hour of Sunday morning on Afghan National Police (ANP) check posts along a main roadway in Bakwa district and the ANP repelled the attack killing four armed Taliban militants," deputy provincial police chief Mohammad Ghaus Malyar told Xinhua. He said several rebels fled the area following the retaliation attack and that no members of ANP were injured in the incident.


MoD: Corporal Andrew Steven Roberts

MoD: Private Ratu Manasa Silibaravi

4 comments:

Cervantes said...

Air strike in Badghis said to kill at least 14 civilians. Also, 3 U.S. soldiers killed in Ghazni. It just keeps getting worse.

Anonymous said...

I personally knew one of them... It's sad that Whitney houstonsdeath goes viral and you can barely find an article of our fallen soldiers who risk there lives for us daily... They make it possible for us to live....

Cervantes said...

Anon, I'm afraid I cannot agree that what our military is doing in Afghanistan makes it "possible for us to live." As far as I'm concerned it's a totally useless waste.

Dancewater said...

In my opinion, it is far worse than a waste. It is evil and vastly stupid.