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, April 16, 2009

War News for Thursday, April 16, 2009

GEO TV is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, April 15th. NATO has a non-working like to this incident. At this time we believe report to be accurate.


April 14 airpower summary:

Iraq: the legacy - Basra's failed oil bonanza:

Executions main cause of civilian death during Iraq war:

Turkish soldier killed in clash with PKK:

U.S. Military Expresses Concern About Perception of an Iraqi Crackdown on Sunnis:

Karzai Asks US-NATO To Explain Civilian Deaths In Afghanista:


Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: Wednesday Around 9 a.m. a magnetic bomb attached to a civilian car detonated in Haifa Street in downtown Baghdad on Wednesday. Two people were wounded.

#2: Wednesday Around 9:15 p.m. a roadside bomb detonated in Dora neighborhood in southern Baghdad. Two people were wounded.


Daiyal Prv:
Baquba:
#1: The Sahwa leader in old Baquba city was killed by an adhesive bomb that was stuck to his car. Four policemen were injured by the explosion which took place near the explosive departments in downtown Baquba city around 12 p.m.


Mosul:
#1: A policeman was killed and another one was injured in an armed attack on a police checkpoint in western Mosul, a security source said. “Two gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint in Mosul al-Jadieda region in western Mosul, killing a policeman and injuring another one,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Al Anbar Prv:
Habbaniyah:
#1: An Iraqi army officer says a suicide bomber walked into a base west of Baghdad and set off his explosives belt, killing 15 Iraqi soldiers and wounding at least 40. The officer says the attack Thursday occurred at the joint base shared by Iraqi soldiers and U.S. troops in Habbaniyah about 45 miles (70 kilometers) west of Baghdad. He says the bomber walked up to a group of soldiers headed for a base canteen and then detonated his explosives. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to release the information. It's not immediately clear if there were any U.S. soldiers at or near the gathering.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Three militants were killed while planting landmines on Wednesday in Helmand province, which lies 590 km (365 miles) to the southwest of the capital, the interior ministry said.

#2: Afghan police have arrested two men accused of assassinating a female member of the provincial council of Kandahar, 450 km (280 miles) southwest of Kabul, at the weekend, the interior ministry said on Thursday.

#3: Two police were killed and four others were wounded as their car struck a roadside bomb on Wednesday in southern Afghan province of Kandahar, Interior Ministry said on Thursday. "A roadside bomb struck the police car in Al- Himara area of Painjwai district yesterday killing two police and injuring two others," a statement of Interior Ministry issued here said. It also added that two women, all residents of the area, were also wounded in the incident.


Casualty Reports:

Specialist Merlin Hollis was awarded a purple heart Wednesday morning for injuries he suffered in Iraq. In 2007, an improvised explosive device near Nazariah, Iraq struck the vehicle. Hollis suffered a traumatic brain injury concussion.

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