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


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

War News for Tuesday, May 01, 2012

US Not Reporting All Afghan Attacks

Relatives of man killed by CIA contractor found dead



Reported security incidents
#1: NATO says a Taliban leader and another insurgent were killed after they opened fire on Afghan and coalition troops during a night raid in the country's east. But villager Abdul Malik Abdul Rahimzai says the soldiers who attacked a neighbor's house in Qarghayi district in the eastern province of Laghman killed "innocent people" who were unarmed. Mohammad Aziz Khochi says two of his nephews were killed in the raid. He says one was a local council member and that they were not insurgents.


Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/01/2257581/joint-afghan-nato-raid-kills-2.html#storylink=cpy

#2: Afghan police, backed by army and NATO- led coalition forces, have eliminated 19 Taliban militants during cleanup operations across the country within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Tuesday morning. "Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan National Army, NDS or Afghan intelligence agency and Coalition Forces launched 11 joint cleanup operations in Kabul, Baghlan, Faryab, Kandahar, Helmand, Wardak, Logar, Khost, and Farah provinces over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. "As a result of these operations, 19 armed Taliban insurgents were killed, three wounded and five other suspects were arrested," it said.

#3:  A bomb explosion attacked a vehicle of security forces on Sariab Road near Irrigation Colony here Tuesday, killing at least two persons and injuring eleven others, Geo news reported. According to SP Sariab, the bomb was planted on the roadside near irrigation colony. Four rickshaws and a vehicle of security forces caught fire while glasses of nearby buildings also smashed as a result of blast. According to the unconfirmed information, several security personnel were also hurt as a result of bomb blast and were taken to CMH.

#4: According to a statement released by the Afghan Defense Ministry at least 4 Afghan national army soldiers were injured following roadside bomb explosion in eastern and western regions of the country. The source further added 3 of the Afghan national army soldiers were injured at Syedabad district in eastern Ghazni province and 1 other Afghan soldier was injured at Khashrod district of western Nimroz province.

#5: NATO-led International Security Assistance Force following a press announced coalition airstrike killed five insurgents in response to small-arms fire in Alingar district eastern Laghman province. The source further added a coalition airstrike killed five insurgents emplacing improvised explosive devices in Maidan Shahr district at Wardak province. An explosive ordnance team safely detonated three IEDs after the strike.

#6: According to local authorities in eastern Paktia province, municipality chief for Samkanai district was shot dead by Taliban militants on Sunday afternoon. Provincial police chief for eastern Paktia province Zalmai Orya Khel confirming the report said Haji Gul Wazir municipality chief for Samkanai was killed following an ambush by Taliban militants. He also said at least 2 police officers and one of his bodyguards were injured following the incident.



DoD: Master Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt

DoD: Pfc. Christian R. Sannicolas

1 comments:

Dancewater said...

Afghans rally against US over children's deaths

Scores of Afghans launched an anti-American protest in Afghanistan on Tuesday over the killings of three children during a gun battle between U.S.-led forces and Taliban insurgents.

The children were killed after the Taliban attacked a group of U.S. forces and Afghan police who were meeting with local residents in the Shah Joy district of southern Zabul province Monday, provincial officials said.