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


Thursday, March 29, 2007

Security Incidents for 03/29/07

PHOTO: A skull is painted on the helmet of an Iraqi army soldier patrolling in the Sunni Muslim stronghold of Baghdad's Haifa street. The US Senate tied Iraq war funding to a timetable for withdrawing US troops, on Thursday setting the stage for a bitter fight with President George W. Bush.(AFP/Patrick Baz)

Diala- At least 43 people were killed and 86 more were wounded on Thursday when four car bombs went off in Khalis district, Diala province, 57 km northeast of Baghdad, a police source said. Baghdad- At least 72 people, including women and children, were killed and 100 others wounded on Thursday when a suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body at a popular market in eastern Baghdad, a police source said. [Other reports give a much higher death toll. – dancewater]

Baghdad- Unknown gunmen attacked a U.S. vehicle convoy on Thursday in southwestern Baghdad, setting a vehicle ablaze, an eyewitness said.

Baghdad- Eight civilians were killed and 32 others were wounded when three booby-trapped cars went off early Thursday in different parts of Baghdad, a police source said.

Baghdad- A Katyusha rocket landed, on Thursday morning, near the joint security center currently under construction in Sadr city in eastern Baghdad, an eyewitness said. Basra- British forces arrested on Thursday two suspected gunmen during a security crackdown north of Basra, 550 km south of Baghdad, the spokeswoman for the Multi-National forces in southern Iraq said.

Basra- A British patrol was attacked on Thursday by light arms near the Iranian consulate in Basra, 550 south of Baghdad, the spokeswoman for the Multi-National forces in southern Iraq said.

Mosul- A senior figure in the armed group al-Qaeda in Iraq was captured by Iraqi army forces in the city of Mosul, 402 km, north of Baghdad, a well-informed source in Ninewa province said on Thursday.

Mosul- U.S. forces killed a man and three of his sons and arrested two others late Wednesday in eastern Mosul, 402 km north of Baghdad, a source from Ninewa police department said on Thursday.

Mosul- A policeman was killed on Thursday by unidentified gunmen east of Mosul, 402 km north of Baghdad, a source from Ninewa police department said.

Baghdad – A car bomb targets a Police Patrol in Hay Al-Amil, west Baghdad. The booby-trapped car was left on the side road with a dead body inside it as bait. It exploded as the policemen drew near to inspect it, killing 2 policemen and wounding 6.

Baghdad – An IED explodes in the market place in Al-Beyaa’, west Baghdad, Road 20. It is a central market place frequented mostly by women and families. 3 civilians were killed and 20 injured, some of whom were women and children.

Baghdad – Al-Jaza’ir Police Station in Al-Qanat Area , east Baghdad is targeted with mortar missiles that fall short, hitting a relatively empty area behind it wounding 4 civilians.

Baghdad – A mortar shell landed in Al Zawra park causing injuries to one civilian.

Baghdad – A mortar shell landed in Al Harthiya area causing injuries to one civilian.

Baghdad – Gunmen abducted Dr. Ridha Al Quraishi the dean assistant of the Management and Economy College in Al Talbiya are after he left the college.

Baghdad – A road side bomb exploded in Yarmouk neighborhood. No casualties reported.

Baghdad – Gunmen killed optician doctor Kareem Najim Al Daini in Mahmoudiya town.

Baghdad – Drive by shooting targeted residents of Al Shabab neighborhood. 1 was killed and 3 were injured.

Baghdad – Suicide car bomb targeted an Iraqi army checkpoint in Al Jamiaa neighborhood. 3 soldiers were killed and 16 were injured.

Baghdad – Police found 25 corpses in Baghdad. The bodies were found in the following neighborhoods: 2 corpses in Ameriya, 2 in Jamiaa, 2 in Ghazaliya, 2 in Hurriya, 1 in Mansour, 2 in Shuala, 2 in Adhamiya, 1 in Etafiya, 1 in Ealam, 7 in Doura, 1 in New Baghdad and 2 in Kadhimiya.

Mahmoudiya – A mortar round landed in Mahmoudiya. 5 civilians were injured.

Mahmoudiya - A car on the side of the road explodes near Al-Mahmoudiya Hospital, in a crowded market place in Mahmoudiya City, to the south of Baghdad. 4 were killed and 20 wounded, all civilians.

Diyala - Around 4:00 p.m. Three car bombs exploded in Al Khalis city (20 Km north of Baqouba). The first suicide car targeted a joint Iraqi plice and army patrol in central the city, few minutes later a parked car exploded in the city’s crowded bus station and the third suicide ambulance car targeted a police patrol. Mortar shells landed in the first attack site and after the three attacks gunmen attacked different sites in the area. Two road side bombs detonated on the road leading to the hospital in the city. The attacks claimed the lives of 47 and injured 91.

Tikrit - Gunmen abducted three police officers on the main road between Samara and Al Dour.

Beiji - Police found a policeman’s dead body in Beiji today. The policeman was kidnapped by gunmen two days ago from the same city.

BAGHDAD - A car bomb killed three people and wounded 16 in Jamiaa in western Baghdad, a police source said, adding that the bomb targeted an army patrol.

BAGHDAD - A senior academic at Baghdad's Mustansiriya university named Rida Qureishi was kidnapped, a police source said.

BAGHDAD - A car bomb killed four policemen and one civilian and wounded nine more police in Jihad in southwest Baghdad, the U.S. military said. Police were checking a suspicious vehicle when it exploded.

MAHMUDIYA - Two mortar bombs landed in a residential district of Mahmudiya, killing two people and wounding seven, police said.

MOSUL - Gunmen killed Nawaf al-Hadidi, imam of a mosque in Mosul, in a drive-by shooting on Wednesday, police said.

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol wounded three soldiers in the western Ghazaliya district of Baghdad, a Reuters witness said.

BAGHDAD - Gunmen attacked the motorcade of the head of traffic police, Jaafar al-Khafaji, in northern Baghdad, killing two traffic policemen and wounding two others, police said.

BAGHDAD - A car bomb targeting an Iraqi army checkpoint killed a soldier and wounded three others on Wednesday near al-Shurta tunnel in western Baghdad, police said.

DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a policeman near his house in the southern city of Diwaniya, 180 km (110 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.

DIWANIYA - The body of a young man was found shot in Diwaniya, police said. He was kidnapped on Wednesday.

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